


Blessed Sin

by horrorstar100



Category: Vampire Knight (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Human, Catholicism, Multi, Prostitution, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-03
Updated: 2019-06-19
Packaged: 2019-07-24 12:44:23
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 28,427
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16175327
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/horrorstar100/pseuds/horrorstar100
Summary: One night... One single night was all it took for you to change my entire world when everything in my life was already going so well. But I couldn't allow myself to fall for you, not when you are the embodiment of everything wrong.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> It's something both me and Love332 collaborated with so a big thanks to her!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight

It felt like an eternity since that day.

The day everything changed in a way I both hated yet loved…

The ideals I was raised on…

Everything I worked hard for to secure the future I always knew I would follow…

The day you came into my life…

I never had a problem giving up others for my ideals without hesitation, it was a necessary sacrifice and I could move on with my life but they didn't leave an impression like you.

I first thought you to be sin incarnate as soon as I saw you, your voice so captivating as if you could entice even the most devout of followers succumb to your honeyed words, your beauty could bring the masses to their knees with a simple glance. Truly such a creature so tempting, so seductive was painstakingly crafted by the devil himself.

Yet you were more than that.

You made me question everything I was taught, every single brick built by my faith was rocked when we met and unlike any other person I had known you were the only one I truly found myself willing to give it up for if it meant seeing you by my side.

To see you smile from the bottom of your heart rather than your empty seductive one, to see your beautiful eyes shine with genuine joy rather than the concealed contempt you hold, but what I truly longed for was to see you shine as the selfless, kind person you were.

But if I was willing to do just that, would I free myself from my ideals?

To give up everything I knew if it meant having you, you who would willingly give up their own happiness for those you love without a second thought yet I struggle with the very concept of doing the same for you.

How truly mystifying you are, to readily sacrifice so much without asking for anything in return despite being considered a sinful creature whereas I struggle to make one sacrifice for you despite being a man of God.

Truly you weren't wrong in telling me many who were with you were hypocrites as I know I fall under the category, even going as far as to tell me you'd be angry at me if I ever did anything bad because of the life I would undoubtedly try to live.

But no matter how many would tell you that you were unworthy of me, it was I who was unworthy of being in your heart.

You who were so selfless for those you love, so kind, so pure and radiant in an undeserving world that had the gall to debase your worth when in actuality it was them that were not worthy of the blesses being you were.

You endured so much pain, so much suffering and yet when we were together it was almost as if you could remember what it was like to be happy, I wanted to fend off all the sorrows that fell around you and there was no way I could ever forgive anyone who would try to hurt you.

Like a warm light in the forsaken world you brought so much to my decided life, I didn't want you yet came to realize how much I truly needed you as I know that choosing my faith means I must give you up yet I struggle to imagine the loss of the strangely precious feeling you gave me if I were to ever lose you.

Maybe it would have been different if our worlds didn't oppose each other so much; maybe we could have something that could flourish without either of us suffering along the way, it certainly would have been easier if you could be you and I could be me instead of hiding who we were for the sake of others.

Truly we were not perfect yet together it was as if nothing else mattered in this world, as if our destinies no longer held purpose and we could finally be free if we gave them up for our selfish love. To go back to those gentle days we could never get back, when we could stand together, beneath floating snow or scattered petals and cherish your pure happiness for as long as we could hold those moments.

But now it has come to this since the moment we met and our fates intertwined in such a way we both couldn't understand how it came to this.

Everything started with that night, the spark you lit aflame with that single night, the night that caused me to question my faith…


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here we are! I hope you guys enjoy.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight

The city night life was alive as numerous bars and clubs were packed with numerous former students celebrating their graduation and newfound freedom from their university schedules. Amongst the throngs of people Zero Kiryu was being dragged by his twin brother Ichiru in order to meet up with their friends who had planned to not only celebrate his graduation but giving him a final goodbye to his young carefree life before he started working towards his future.

He appreciated the gesture since he wasn't able to give much time to his friends and brother in the past few months due to his assignments and exams keeping him trapped in his dorm with textbooks and his only ventures outside were usually when Kaito or Ichiru dragged him down to the communal kitchen to eat when they hadn't seen him during the day.

Passing his exams and gaining his Bachelor's degree had brought a strong sense of relief unlike any he ever knew as he had studied and worked countless hours during his time at university and never allowed himself any distractions, he sacrificed many things to achieve it and to finally graduate with exceptional grades brought him great joy, his parents, godfather and brother celebrated by taking him out to his favorite restaurant before Ichiru planned to take him out on the town with their friends to celebrate.

"Hurry up Zero!" Ichiru shot back at him as he felt his brother lagging behind him.

"Not my fault it's so crowded." Zero said as he tried to keep up with his brother but was also trying to avoid bumping into people.

"Well Kaito and I were lucky enough to get our names on the list and we're already running late." Ichiru changed his purposeful stride to a hurried jog after checking his phone for the time; Zero stumbled forward before matching his brother's pace as they traversed down the street. He called out apologies to anyone they accidently bumped into but it didn't slow down Ichiru, both he and Kaito had to book everything for tonight a week in advance and weren't about to have all their careful planning go to ruin because they were late.

* * *

"Finally!" Kaito exclaimed as Ichiru and Zero's silver hair stood out amongst the growing crowd "Do you know how long I've been saving our place?" Ichiru rolled his eyes as he approached Kaito with his brother in tow.

"Chill out man, we got held up at the restaurant." Ichiru stated before stopping beside him, giving a final tug with his arm so that Zero was now standing next to him "Well I've brought the guest of honor, where's everyone else?" Ichiru asked, a quick scan of his surroundings confirmed that it was only Kaito in line to hold their place.

"Sayori is bringing them; it'll just be her boyfriend and his cousin joining us." Kaito said with a shrug before taking a step once the line started moving, both Zero and Ichiru were unperturbed by the small number of people joining them as Zero would have preferred it that way.

"Are you sure we'll get in?" Zero looked past the line to see the sheer number of people in front of them leading to the club's entrance illuminated with a blue neon glow, the bouncer let in a small group of four before setting his red rope back in place to divide the line.

"Blue Orchid is doing a themed night for graduates but it's for exclusive attendees only. We booked a week in advance to make sure we can get in." Kaito answered as a couple of friends were rejected and forced to leave the line, making it progress a little bit. Zero looked up to the glowing neon sign on the towering building with the elegant cursive lettering that named the club in an illuminating magenta while above the words were a glowing blue orchid with purple neon lights in the center to accentuate the color.

He was unfamiliar with the club scene but he had heard some of his classmates mention Blue Orchid, he heard people saying it was a high end strip club with gorgeous dancers, both men and women who catered to any club goer who visited but not many got to enter due to being students who had to work with a limited budget and the club itself was not exactly cheap.

"Why are we at a strip club?" Zero asked incredulously, Ichiru said they were going to a club and their parents were reluctant to let them go out despite the reassurance from Ichiru that Sayori would be there and it wouldn't get out of control.

"You think we're letting you sign yourself up to the convent without having one last night of freedom!" Kaito declared, getting an annoyed look from Zero at his comment.

"It's graduate work." Zero corrected but Kaito didn't seem to care as they were making progress and getting closer to the entrance.

"Guys!" the three turned towards the familiar voice to see the petite honey haired girl running towards them with two taller figures following her.

"Hey Yori!" Ichiru called out as she got closer and the two people accompanying her came into view which made Zero's insides twist in discomfort. Sayori's boyfriend Hanabusa stood close to her as soon as she stopped beside them, his messy blonde tresses styled impeccably with a crisp icy blue button up shirt that matched his eyes with the first two buttons left unbuttoned, matching black pants and jacket were neat and not a single imperfection in place, Sayori looked just as beautiful as her boyfriend in her short sleeved white dress with a black long sleeved shirt underneath to protect her against the night air, the simple attire suited her well as it made her honey brown eyes stand out.

But the person stood behind them was what made Zero feel his celebratory night was going to be more awkward than he thought it would be when he learned he was going to a strip club, it was the one person he was sure he would never see again the second he graduated high school. His ex-boyfriend Akatsuki Kain, still tall and broad just like in high school but his fiery eyes seemed more tired than before and his hair only a little bit longer as it fell over his eyes in messy strands, dressed in a simple white button up shirt with the two top buttons undone and the bottom untucked and dark denim jeans that accentuated his legs. He looked dressed for clubbing but his expression was tired and Zero felt as if he was ready to bolt as soon as his fiery eyes settled on him.

"So guess whose Hanabusa's cousin?" Sayori offered weakly with an apologetic smile, Zero couldn't fault her for not knowing since both Hanabusa and Akatsuki had different last names and it wasn't as if their break up was recent. It was six years ago and they were better off apart, he wasn't the reclusive socially awkward, sexually confused teenager who had a habit of sleeping through his morning classes due to pulling all-nighters, he was a self-assured university graduate with a bachelor's degree who would be starting his graduate work next week.

"It's cool." Zero grunted out, his tone neutral as Akatsuki looked surprised at his response but didn't get the chance to speak as they finally made it to the entrance of Blue Orchid.

"Name?" the bouncer asked gruffly, it was obvious that he had been manning the line for a while and possibly had to deal with several angry people who couldn't get in due to the club being reservation only tonight.

"Kaito Takamiya, six in the group and ordered the 'Celebration package'." The bouncer did a quick scan of his clip board, flipping the list over until he saw the name and everything was in check.

"Hand this to the bar when you get in." He handed Kaito a black card with the club's symbol above a barcode with 'Takamiya' written in silver ink on the card, then proceeded to unclip the red rope that held back the line, gesturing for them to go through and once everyone passed through he put the rope back in place and continued with his job. Zero swallowed nervously as they entered the club.

* * *

After passing through the check in and getting their hands stamped with the small Blue Orchid stamp that matched the sign outside, they finally made it into the club and once setting his eyes upon it Zero could see what his classmates were talking about when they said it was 'high end' for a strip club.

It was well lit for a club with blues and magenta lights dancing across the center stage where many of the graduates were hovering around as four gorgeous dancers were sensually moving in rhythm with the music, despite their differing attire that seemed to be cat-themed their movements perfectly in-sync with each other from the slightest arch of their backs to the teasing tilt of their hips, even the smell was fairly neutral but it was certainly different from what he expected.

As her surveyed the club further he noticed the black walls decorated with the familiar blue orchid the club was named after in what could only be described as a mural that a played with variants of blue with each flower.

Against the walls were booths holding various groups of university students and graduates that were drinking but with each group were a dancer, both men and women dressed in revealing clothes but like the dancers on stage they had had cat theme with either cat print.

Kaito made a bee-line for the bar with everyone following him as they observed their surroundings and approached the bartender, grinning as they approached him after serving a cocktail to a customer.

"What can I do for you?" the bartender asked, Kaito held up the card the bouncer handed him which the bartender accepted, placing the barcode under a scanner next to the cash register that beeped as soon as it was scanned. The bartender typed into the computer as it registered the purchase "You ordered the celebration package." The bartender finished the order before turning to Kaito "Who's the lucky guy?" without hesitation Kaito brought an arm around Zero and pulled him beside him.

"Right here!" Kaito answered and got a nod from the bartender who immediately typed into the computer again, fingers dancing along the keyboard rapidly until he ended with a final tap on the enter key.

"Alright…" the bartender ducked down to grab a stack of paper that looked like makeshift bills with two hundred yen written on them "… Your complimentary tips, you can use them if you want to watch any center stage shows or get a lap dance from your dancer." He handed them to Zero who took them with reluctance and stuck them in his pocket but the last words the bartender said resonated with him.

"My dancer?" Zero asked, the bartender looked at Kaito with a frown but the brunette shrugged without a care.

"Celebration package comes with one of our beautiful dancers giving you entertainment for the night." The bartender answered, they quickly ordered some drinks and got told to head to one of the booths as they'll be given their drinks shortly. Once sitting down in their seats Zero immediately looked at Ichiru and Kaito with an annoyed glare.

"Really!?" he asked incredulously while Ichiru rolled his eyes.

"Relax, you get your own private dancer." His brother stated with a playful shove but Zero wasn't thrilled about the idea, it was already awkward enough being in a strip club but to have a dancer shoved on him was really getting to him.

"I hear some packages involve sleeping with some of them." Hanabusa's comment got him looks from everyone, Sayori raising an eyebrow at him with an unimpressed expression that made him flustered "I haven't tried it myself! Some of my classmates said so! I swear!" Zero rolled his eyes, knowing the blonde's habit of sticking his foot in his mouth was something that would never change no matter what.

"Takamiya?" the baritone voice made them turn to the new arrival that was balancing a tray filled with their drinks with practiced ease, Zero's eyes widened at the sight of the young man stood before him as he felt his throat lock up and making it difficult to breath.

The dark captivating eyes shined like black diamonds under the blue and pink lights, messy dark tresses falling down to his shoulders with elegance and framing his pale youthful features but perched atop his head were a pair of black lace cat ears that suited his attire. Around his elegant throat was a black lace choker with a heart shaped padlock at the center, his thin long arms covered in long black lace fingerless gloves that revealed long fingers that looked as if they belonged to a pianist with the delicate and careful manner they held the tray, his chest bare and devoid of any chest hair or scars yet despite his tall figure it was lithe, reminding Zero of a porcelain doll that was created to be a pure beauty none could ever obtain unless they were simply a divine angel.

However the idea of pure beauty was tainted as Zero's gaze scanned lower to see the black lace boy shorts that fit with the curve of his hips, black suspenders came past the underwear and connected to the black lace ends of the stockings he wore that seemed to make his pale skin stand out more with the contrasting palette while showing how long and elegant his legs were as he stood at full height, the only thing not consisting of black lace were the simple black leather ankle boots on his feet that looked more practical in comparison to the other dancers.

This wasn't a pure beauty that radiated innocence like he originally thought, this was a darker form that appeared as such to entice any who gazed upon it like the devil himself.

His theory proven when the dancer's lips tilted upward as he set the tray down on the table and smirked at him with gleaming eyes, his gaze mysterious and alluring that it made reading him a trickier process than Zero expected.

"Kosuke said to look for the light haired twins." His voice was seductive and as if it were like magic it kept Zero from looking away from the alluring creature, it was as if he were a wayward sailor who had stumbled upon a siren but unlike those who succumb to the alluring being he would turn away from the devilish creature.

"I'm Takamiya." Kaito reached out his hand and the dancer took it, both shaking hands before Kaito immediately reaching across Ichiru and slapping his palm on Zero's shoulder "Zero here is the guest of honor though." He said with a grin which made Zero look away from the dancer and glare at Kaito for putting him in the spot light.

"Zero huh?" Zero felt a cold shiver down his spine as a warm body pressed against his side, he slowly turned to see the dark alluring eyes leveled with his own, the wicked grin making his heart race as he swallowed thickly. He felt his strong resolve from before crumble as if he was drowning like all who succumbed to the siren's beautiful voice and met their doom the second they hit the water "I'm Kaname."

* * *

His brain might as well have shut down the second the seductive incubus known as Kaname had introduced himself to him, mainly due to him trying to ignore everything around him as the night felt as if it was going to be nothing more than a train wreck. It was awkward enough with Akatsuki attending but he could handle that despite the forlorn looks he caught being sent his way, Ichiru and Kaito buying him a male stripper that looked like sin incarnate was pushing it but he could handle it as long as he didn't look directly at him and ignored the warm body next to him, focusing on his drink proved useful.

But the final straw that broke the camel's back had to be when Ichiru sent him a devious look and opened his mouth.

"Hey Kaname, what does the 'Celebration package' have?" Zero could tell just from his brother's face alone that he knew what the 'Celebration package' had but he was doing this just to see his brother suffer.

"Well…" Zero tensed as soon as he felt one of the long digits slide across his jaw, his eyes looked towards Kaname in unease as he was turned towards the dancer who looked at him with a teasing smile as his soft lips parted to speak "… It means he gets to spend two pleasurable hours alone with me in the VIP rooms." Zero's eyes widened as he considered those words, recalling Hanabusa's comment about how this club provided more than private dances.

"What!?" Akatsuki exclaimed with evident anger in his tone and expression, he gripped his glass tightly but Zero knew if the situation wasn't diffused quickly then it could get messy.

"Calm down, Akatsuki." Hanabusa offered, trying to calm his cousin with a comforting hand on his shoulder but was shook off. He sent a dirty look to Kaname as if he were the devil incarnate, something Zero would believe very much, but Kaname simply ignored it and took Zero's hand.

"Come on, I'll give you a performance you will never forget." Zero simply allowed himself to be led away by the stripper while looking back at his sibling and friends with a look of absolute horror, Ichiru gave him a thumbs up while Kaito was shooting him a wink, Akatsuki downed his drink in one go which worried Zero while Sayori and Hanabusa were focused on keeping him calm.

Zero looked at the back of Kaname's head, dreading what was to come as he was led past a bouncer guarding a set of stairs leading up.

* * *

The second the door closed behind them, Zero felt the imminent dread becoming more palpable as he looked at his new surroundings that differed from the club below. The room was better lit and filled with dark woods and red as he looked around to see the bed with a dark wooden frame but was lined with red silk sheets and pillows, next to the bed was a small bedside dresser with three little draws that undoubtedly catered to the needs of the room, and across from the bed was a make-up table with a few make-up products and accessories strewn about.

Looking at Kaname now in the brighter light he could see his dark eyes with and his messy tresses were a chocolate brown, with his hair notable darker as it contrasted against his pale skin.

"So how do you want this?" Kaname asked as he was slipping his boots off, Zero blinked in confusion having been caught off-guard.

"I'm sorry?" Zero choked out, it dawned on him that this was the first time he actually said something to Kaname since they were introduced.

"Do you want me to top or do you want to top me?" Kaname elaborated, turning to Zero after he finished removing his boots and approached carefully with a gentle sway to his hips with each step, eyes gleaming as he observed Zero backing up from him until his back reached the wall and kept Zero in place. Without his boots Zero could see that Kaname was near eye level with him, just an inch shorter than him with his shoes on "No, you'd definitely top." Kaname said as he ran his hands along Zero's chest, making him uncomfortable with the forwardness.

"I don't…" Zero found himself flustered as he struggled to word a sentence to Kaname of how he isn't used to these types of situations. Kaname seemed to drop the seductive smirk for an inquisitive expression that was so drastically different from what he had seen but thankfully removed his hands from his person.

"Hmm." Kaname's chocolate eyes felt penetrating to him, as if he could see every weakness with a single stare "So you're one of those clients." He stated which only served to confuse Zero.

"What?" Zero asked as Kaname simply looked at him with a coy expression.

"The flowers and chocolate type, they prefer the romantic stuff." He leaned in close towards Zero's neck, his warm breath hastening his pulse as he did so "I don't kiss clients on the lips but that doesn't mean I can't do other things." The second Zero felt the wet tongue flick against his neck he immediately placed his arms on Kaname and pushed him back; putting an end to this before it escalates further, earning him a confused expression from the brunette.

"I'm not doing this." Zero stated which puzzled Kaname "I don't care if Kaito and Ichiru paid for this, it isn't what I want and I'm pretty sure you don't want it either." His words surprised Kaname greatly as he let go of the brunette and was heading to the door, determined to leave.

"Wait!" Zero stopped, turning to look back at Kaname who sat down on the bed, his usual seductive act completely gone as he looked just as uncertain as Zero "If you go downstairs now they'll make a big deal about it, you can stay up here for the two hours without having to do anything." Kaname avoided eye contact with him; the sight was much natural compared to what he could only assume was an act for his job. He knew he could go downstairs, leave this place and pretend this night never happened but then he'd deal with everyone holding it over his head for the foreseeable future so against his better judgement he took his jacket off and went to the other side of the bed next to Kaname. This seemed to be new territory for Kaname as well since he didn't know how to approach Zero in this new arrangement "So what do you want to do?" he asked curiously.

"We could talk." Zero suggested, it was a simple request but he could see the barest hint of a smile at his suggestion.

"Okay then." Kaname said as he brought his knee up to his chest while the other laid flat upon the bed "Let's talk."

* * *

And talk they did, it was tricky for either of them to start with an ice breaker so they opted for asking questions and answering if they could. They started simple with favorite foods and colors, just to get comfortable with holding a sentence but they eventually grew relaxed in each other's presence.

"So what did you major in?" Kaname asked with a relaxed smile on his face, lying on the bed as he looked up at Zero who was sitting with his back propped against the back board.

"Philosophy, I'm starting graduate work next week." Zero answered, feeling more at ease conversing with Kaname than he ever felt with anyone else.

"What type of work?"

"I'll be working with the Catholic Church; I'm hoping to get ordained."

"And what prompted your brother and friend to purchase a male prostitute for their devout friend who has such aspirations?" Kaname's question was joking in tone but it still made Zero internally freeze, it was a secret that a very select few were lucky enough to know, it was a secret he swore to take to the grave as he knew how his family would react to it. Kaname seemed to read the internal struggle he faced but rather than push for answers he simply smiled "It's okay, you don't have to tell me." Zero relaxed a little but still felt guilty for not being able to vocalize the truth even if Kaname figured it out just from his reaction alone.

"What about you?" the question made Kaname look up at him with wide dark orbs, evident surprise displayed upon his face as he looked up at the silver haired male.

"Me?"

"What did you want to do before all this?" Kaname gave him a teasing smile.

"What makes you think I don't like this job?" Zero gave him a look of clear disbelief, it made Kaname sigh as he looked nervous about voicing his answer "It might sound a little childish but I wanted to be a musician."

"It's not childish." Kaname smiled at Zero's response.

"I used to play the piano and sing when I was younger, even got offered a scholarship but I had to decline it." This threw Zero off as he couldn't believe that someone who had the chance of accomplishing his dream job had turned it down and for what?

"Why?" Zero asked in disbelief, what would push someone to give up their chance at accomplishing their dream.

"Well…" Kaname looked nervous as he was considering whether he should answer such a personal question "Have you ever loved someone that you'd be willing to give up anything for them?" the questioned left Zero deep in thought, the only person he could ever think of doing such a thing for was Ichiru, even if he would be actively against it "Well I do, I didn't care if it meant sacrificing my future for them. All that mattered was that they didn't have to suffer before they got the chance to live." Those words resonated with Zero strongly; he had never met someone who would willingly sacrifice such a promising future just for the sake of someone they loved, who could even be worthy of such a sacrifice? Even Zero was uncertain if he could ever do such a thing for Ichiru, for as much as he loved his brother even he knew where to draw the line.

"How long have you been doing this?" Zero asked curiously, observing how Kaname simply held his gaze in a relaxed state.

"…A year and a half." Kaname answered truthfully, seeing the silver haired man's eyes widen at his answer.

"How old are you?" Zero was a bit surprised since Kaname looked so young, he looked as if he was a high schooler at the youngest but surely a professional establishment wouldn't hire a high school student as a prostitute.

"Nineteen." The answer didn't ease Zero's mind, he knew how long Kaname had worked in this job so that meant that he was probably fresh out of high school when he took this job. He couldn't understand why Kaname would do such a thing even if it was for someone he greatly cared for, what was worth selling his body before he could try to achieve his dream? Zero knew how it was to make sacrifices for the sake of ones future but he couldn't think of any reason to choose such a surreptitious job.

But it's not like he could judge Kaname for his career choices nor his reasons for taking them.

"You're so young." Zero breathed out, he raised his hand to brush back the stray strands that had fallen over Kaname's eyes; a single dark brow rose with an amused smile.

"And how old are you?" Kaname shot back, turning onto his stomach and pushing himself up with his elbows, from the new angle Zero could see the delicate dip of Kaname's back and the supple curve of his backside, stocking clad feet kicking up and down in a playful way that matched his catty smile.

"I'm twenty four, therefore older than you." Zero stated as he straightened himself on the bed, looking down at the brunette with an incredulous look.

"Only by five years." Kaname grabbed one of the silk pillows and smacked Zero in the head with it, the silver haired male chuckled as he raised his arms to block the incoming attacks. The relentless assault continued until Zero clasped the pillow and with a strong pull yanked Kaname forward so that he was sprawled across his body, his legs on either side of him and his chest resting against Zero's as he breathed heavily, their eyes locked with each other and now were closer than before which enabled Zero to see things unnoticed from before.

Zero could see flecks of red in Kaname's eyes that gave them a garnet hue that shined with the genuine joy, his soft lips tilted in a gentle smile that felt more real than the seductive allure he first encountered. This side held a far superior beauty than the act he put on for any who came for him, this vulnerable display of emotions was delicate and meant to be treasured by any who were lucky enough to see it.

It reminded Zero of Ichiru as his trust was something difficult to recover once lost, the one difference between Kaname and Ichiru was that Kaname didn't use scathing retorts or blunt sarcasm as a shield. Kaname adapted and played the role he needed to play in order to stay safe, whether it was the seductive siren that could bring even the strongest of men to their knees or the innocent individual who was naïve in the art of pleasure.

It hurt to see such a kind and selfless person treated in such a manner, especially when they gave up their own ambitions and dreams to pursue such a demeaning job that was unworthy of such a brilliant mind who could have done greater things than being used as an object to fulfil others desires.

"Why don't you leave?" Zero asked as one of his hands relinquished the pillow and gently cupped the brunette's face, the smile Kaname had lowered ever so slightly and his eyes watering but still he kept composure.

"It's not that easy." Kaname answered softly, leaning into the comforting touch as he rested his own hand over Zero's. The silver haired male felt his heart break at the resigned tone from the brunette; his thumb rubbed small circles over Kaname's cheek in a comforting manner. He didn't know what to say as he couldn't give him empty promises that would only make the situation worse, something he didn't want after seeing such a vulnerable side to him.

He leaned forward, Kaname's eyes widening in surprise as he let go of the pillow and used his other hand to support himself as he moved closer, feeling the warm air as Kaname's breathing hitched. It felt so natural to have him in his arms, seeing his wine colored orbs shining with uncontrolled emotions, the feel of his soft skin against his own, all of it just felt more certain than any experience he had with any other person before.

"Zero…" Kaname whispered as Zero was mere inches apart, just a simple push was all he needed to bridge that final gap between them but it felt as if his body was frozen in place as Kaname's words echoed within his mind.

" _I don't kiss clients on the lips."_

That one little phrase stopped him from taking the next step; it reminded him of why he was even with Kaname in the first place. He was his client, Kaname was being paid to spend time with him in this room but he couldn't see Kaname as such. He didn't have to open up to him and neither did Zero, they didn't have to converse with each other so intimately but Zero couldn't deny that it had lit a flame within him unlike any other he had felt.

But he couldn't push forward, he instead turned away from Kaname and fell back against the bed, letting go of Kaname as he tried to right his breathing.

"… Our session is almost over." Zero felt Kaname shift off from him and the bed shift as the added weight was removed, he turned to see Kaname standing up, Zero felt his exhaustion catching up to him as he lifted himself from the bed, stretching his arms up and cracking a few stiff joints as he did so.

"I guess this is goodbye." Zero stated, getting a slow nod from Kaname as he walked towards the door with Zero grabbing his jacket, as he slipped it back on and stuck his hands into his pockets he felt the unfamiliar weight in his right pocket as he remembered that both his wallet and phone were in the inside pocket. He pulled it out and found the stack of bills that were used as forms of tipping for the dancers in place of yen, without hesitating he just slammed it on the makeup table which surprised Kaname.

"What are you doing?" Kaname asked nervously, his hackles raised from what Zero could tell and it didn't surprise him as he had made no move for any sexual act towards Kaname so to see the tips on his table now was sending mixed signals to the brunette.

"I don't need them." His answer surprised Kaname, Zero remained as neutral as he could without revealing how awkward he felt "I'm not asking for anything in return, just take them if it helps you out." Kaname was silent as Zero stepped past him and was approaching the door, before his hand could touch the door knob he felt a hand grip his arm pull him back.

Zero turned to face the brunette but before he could speak his eyes widened at the feel of the soft lips against his own, Kaname's eyes were closed as his fingers clutched the collar of Zero's shirt, pulling him close as he simply relished in the closeness he had never felt with anyone before. Zero's hands moved to Kaname's shoulders, his mind was screaming at him to push him away and but find it in his heart to do it, not when he had seen the brunette emotionally exposed which he suspected wasn't so easy for him to do, especially in his profession of work.

He slowly leaned into the kiss, moving his lips gently against Kaname's as he carefully slipped his hands down Kaname's sides and wrapped his arms around him in a gentle hold. Kaname let out a soft breathless sigh as his lips parted, this gave Zero the incentive to deepen the kiss and pull Kaname closer. This connection was unlike any other he had shared with the people in his life and he wanted to savor it for as long as he could for he knew that this would be his only chance before he devoted his life to his work.

Kaname's fingers slowly moved up Zero's neck and laced themselves through his silver tresses, he was committing every second of this moment to memory, the delicate way Zero held him in his arms, the warmth emitted from his body, the soft caress of his lips against his own, every feeling he gained from this moment was unlike anything he knew. It was as if the world stopped and no one else existed, it was only him and Zero that truly mattered in this moment and any problems they faced outside of this were insignificant for this brief yet memorable interaction.

Slowly yet reluctantly Zero pulled back, bringing them both back to reality and reminding them of their surroundings.

"I thought you don't kiss clients on the lips." Zero said in with a breathless whisper, Kaname offered a soft smile as he looked at him with warm eyes that showed a burgundy hue Zero never noticed until he was up close.

"You're not just a client." Kaname stepped back and the loss of Zero's body made him feel cold, he wrapped his arms around himself in an attempt to get back the warmth he was once embraced in but it didn't return "Goodbye Zero." Those two words were like cold water to the older man as he was reminded that this wasn't something he could have, it was a single moment yet it felt as if it had engrained itself into his very soul, his heart raced and it felt as if it wouldn't slow down no matter what he did.

"Goodbye Kaname." Zero said back at the brunette, opening the door and stepping out of the room, looking back to see Kaname stood where he was unmoving as he closed the door.

* * *

As soon as Zero made it past the bouncer who guarded the VIP rooms he looked out into the club to see that it was noticeably less crowded than before, his eyes scanned the floor until he spotted the booth where his friends and brother were. Ichiru was laughing as he was drinking his cocktail while Kaito was getting a lap dance from one of the girls dressed in matching black leather booty shorts and a bra with a matching cat ear headband and thigh high leather boots, evidently enjoying himself which made Zero roll his eyes, Akatsuki was resting his head on his arm with many glasses surrounding him while Sayori and Hanabusa were talking to each other, probably the most sober excluding himself.

It brought a strange sense of normalcy he was familiar with but it didn't compare to what he experienced with Kaname, that spark that made much more sense than anything he ever knew despite everything he was taught telling him it was wrong. Nevertheless the sight did still make him smile as he walked towards the booth, his brother turned to see him approaching and gave him a teasing grin, keeping silent until he sat down next to him.

"So how'd it go?" Ichiru asked, this seemed to take Kaito's attention away from the dancer as he smirked at Zero.

"It was..." The sound of Zero's voice made Akatsuki look up with bleary eyes that struggled to focus on the more serious Kiryu twin, his response faltered as everyone, including the dancer zeroed in on him for his answer.

"It was what?" Hanabusa looked as if he was on the edge of his seat as he leaned forward "He's meant to be unbelievable in the sack so spill it!" he got a weird look from both Sayori and Akatsuki which made him blush as he realized how his words came out.

"He's not wrong though." The dancer giggled, Zero could see Akatsuki's eyebrow twitch in annoyance but refused to feel guilty for enjoying himself in Kaname's company, it had been six years since they broke up and he saw no reason to hold onto the past after he moved on in his life, if he just so happened to enjoy spending time with Kaname despite his profession then that was none of his business.

"He's nice." The words surprised everyone who stared at Zero with such bewildered expressions.

"Nice?" Ichiru asked with a puzzled expression, Zero nodded.

"Yeah, he's nice to talk to." Zero said which made Ichiru roll his eyes.

"I'm sure he is but what about everything else?" Ichiru asked, shaking his brother's arm in desperation for an answer while Zero thought back to the time spent with Kaname, the way his garnet eyes lit up as they conversed, his soft lips tilted up in a gentle smile, his messy tresses falling down his cheeks and framing his sharp features so beautifully, his baritone voice holding such a mysterious allure he had never seen before that kept him entranced when they conversed, but the truly memorable moment they shared was that soft innocent kiss that Kaname gave him despite his rule to never share something so intimate with a client. He wasn't some random face that he could blur out of his memory nor was he just a profitable hole like his job seemed to dictate, he was a selfless person who gave up his own aspirations for the sake of someone he loved, something even he was not sure he could do and while he did admire him for his selfless choice it felt so tragic that he had to make such a choice, Kaname was so wickedly intelligent yet held a vulnerability that felt as if he should be cherished like a rare gem instead of being in such a debauch place.

"What we had was certainly a memorable experience." Was all Zero said with a barely noticeable smile, his answer pushed Ichiru and his friends into trying to get him to elaborate but he refused to share more; What he and Kaname shared was between them and there was no reason for the others to know.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before any of you ask, yes some strip clubs do perform an escort service (At least in my country they do) but it's usually with the more high-end gentlemen clubs who have gone through the legal paperwork. There's one in the city I live in and I've actually been there in celebration of my gradutation, it was certainly an interesting experience.
> 
> I'm working on chapter 2 and have part of chapter 3 written down, I'll try to update the story when I can.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoy!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight

Zero didn't realize just how fast three years could go until his brother was telling him he was getting married to his girlfriend of two years, Maria Kurenai and practically begging him to be the one to officiate their wedding once he got ordained. Now that he could reflect on it he could see how much his brother and friends had grown in that time alongside him.

Ichiru was already working a steady job in a debt collection agency and saving up for his wedding alongside Maria, who was also working hard at the call center she worked at, Kaito was already working at a local newspaper and doing small columns at the moment but Zero knew he would work hard towards becoming a field journalist like he always wanted, Sayori and Hanabusa were already living together and from what he could tell they were going pretty steady and focusing on their careers before moving to the big steps, even Akatsuki had managed to move on and was dating a beautiful young woman who Zero had the pleasure of meeting, he was on edge about it as he knew of Akatsuki's lingering feelings for him but after seeing them together he could rightfully say that he had moved on and was now in a better relationship with someone who could make him happy.

Even he had grown from three years ago since he had started his graduate work with the church, his hours busy but it was worth it to help others in any way he could from helping in the youth groups to volunteering at the soup kitchen through the church.

Despite the sacrifices he made he enjoyed his work, seeing how much he could help people with even the slightest of effort warmed his heart but there was still a lingering emptiness that couldn't leave since that night.

He always wondered what Kaname was doing now, was he still working at Blue Orchid or was he pursuing his dream of becoming a musician? Had his profession changed him within the time they last saw each other? Was he still the same self-sacrificing fool like before or had he changed too?

Zero didn't have the courage to see in person, not when he was committed to his graduate work and doing so would cause problems when he was just one step away from being an ordained priest. He wished he could but it was better that he didn't, he wasn't sure he would like the answer but a part of him was hopeful that Kaname would get to leave that place and pursue his dream.

The one thing he could truthfully admit to regretting was never hearing Kaname perform, it would have been nice to see it even just for a brief moment.

* * *

 

"Wow…" Jun panted breathlessly as he slumped against the soft mattress and sheets, the weight on his lap shifting, making him glance down to see Kaname removing himself from his lap and leaving the discomfort of the condom he had to wear during the act, despite that it didn't subtract from the high he was still riding, instead he rolled over to where Kaname was sitting on the bed and wrapped an arm around his waist "…I know Haku said you were wild in the sack but damn…" Kaname simply ignored Jun as he focused on pulling the stockings up his legs "…You think next time we can try without the condom?" Jun moved his hand lower, slipping it towards Kaname's crotch but the brunette grabbed it and immediately removed it from his person.

"House rules." Kaname stated as he picked up the other stocking and pulled it up his legs, Jun gave an annoyed groan as the high was fading and he removed the condom from his person, he looked at it with mild disgust before throwing it in the bin next to the bed.

"Come on, it'd be leagues better without it." He traced his fingers along the pale back but was immediately rebuffed as Kaname stood up and started getting dressed, pulling the black short shorts over his hips.

"Doesn't matter…" Kaname stated as he was moving some of the scattered clothes around to pick up a black short sleeved crop top with a police badge attached to the left breast, he shrugged it on and looked over his shoulder as he started buttoning it up "… You either have a condom or security gets involved…" he gave Jun a smirk as he bent over to grab the belt and hat, he felt arms wrap around his waist and pull him back so that he landed on the bed with a dull thud.

"We didn't get to use the cuffs." Jun stated as he started mouthing the back of Kaname's neck but was pushed back onto the bed.

"I'm not the one who threw them once we got past the door." Kaname pointed out as he stood up again, stepping out of Jun's range so that he could put the hat and belt on, he kept looking around the room until he found the handcuffs hidden in a corner and clipped them onto the belt. He looked back at Jun and saw he made no move to get off the bed, Kaname then picked up the discarded jeans and threw them at Jun's chest "Time's up." He stated, receiving an incredulous look from his client.

"Seriously?" Kaname nodded, picking up the rest of the clothes and throwing them to Jun with disinterest "That's barely an hour." He stated but Kaname didn't seem fazed as he headed towards the door.

"Actually we already exceeded the hour, if you leave now I'm not going to bill you for the extra fifteen minutes." Kaname pointed out as he looked back at Jun with an unimpressed expression; reluctantly his client started getting dressed and afterwards approached Kaname who opened the door for him.

"Can't I stay for the night?" Jun asked as he leaned over Kaname with his arm resting on the door, giving Kaname a flirtatious smirk but Kaname looked up at him with a playful look.

"Do you have two hundred thousand yen?" Kaname asked, Jun sighed knowing there was no winning the argument with Kaname when it came to his work ethic.

"Can I see you next week then?" Jun asked as Kaname simply gave Jun a coy look with a seductive smile.

"We'll see." Kaname said, turning his head to the side when Jun leaned in to kiss him.

"Is that a house rule too?" Jun asked, Kaname kept his head turned away from him as he backed into the door.

"It's my rule." Kaname stated, making him stop and back off in order to leave the room. Kaname looked over at the bed's disheveled state from his activities and felt a heavy weight in his chest as he remembered why he did this.

He stepped out of the room, passing one of the bouncers with a silent nod as he descended back down to the club where the numerous dancers were dressed as either scantily clad cops or crooks, a theme decided for a private bachelor party since the groom was a police officer himself, and majority of the guests were gathered center stage with the performing dancers and several seated in booths with their own dancer giving them entertainment.

"Took you long enough." Kaname looked over to the bar to see Kosuke cleaning a glass but his smirk deceives his nonchalant appearance "You have another client lined up." He said, pointing over to one of the booths where a group of men are being entertained by one of the dancers but only one seems disinterested in the beautiful woman's performance. Kaname merely nodded silently, steeling his nerves and adorning the practiced seductive smile as he made his way to the booth.

* * *

 

It was past noon by the time Kaname woke up, his muscles aching and bones cracking with the slightest of movements as he crawled out of his blanket burrito to grab his phone when the alarm went off to wake him.

After turning it off he stretched his body as he slowly stood up and approached his closet to get ready for the day, he had planned to do some quick shopping after noticing that the fridge was only stocked with a half empty bottle of mayonnaise and water before he left for work last night.

After getting dressed in a grey button up shirt with the collar open, a warm black sweater, snug fitting dark blue jeans and a clean pair of socks, quickly brushed his hair, and then leaving his room with his wallet and cellphone in hand to see the living room and kitchen area devoid of mess as he crossed the fresh hold to the kitchen to start looking around the cupboards to see if he needed to buy anything else. So far there was only a single slice of bread, a can of adzuki beans he remembered buying two weeks ago, and a bottle of vinegar; with a sigh he grabbed the bread from the cupboard to have for breakfast, not even bothering to toast it as he started eating it.

"Yuki!" Kaname called out in between bites as he started searching the kitchen counter, grabbing the unopened envelops with his name on them and started opening them "I've got some errands to run so I'll only be out for a couple hours!" He quickly skimmed them to see that he just needed to pay the bills which he could easily do today "Yuki?" Kaname wondered why he wasn't getting a response from his sister after finishing the slice of bread and immediately went to her room, opening it to find it empty "And you're not here." He quickly went over to the kitchen counter and found that the envelope he left with their rent money last night was gone so at least he didn't have to deal with it. He then grabbed his jacket, putting his phone in his pocket and doing a quick check of his wallet to make sure he had all his bank cards before putting it in with his phone, and went back to the counter to grab his keys but found a small post-it note next to them along with a very familiar key missing from his panda keyring.

Borrowed the car, be back at 2pm.

Yuki 3

Kaname sighed in exasperation; he would have rather driven so that his errands could be done quicker but he could make do with the situation, it just meant he'd have to save the shopping for last as he didn't want to pay for his bills while carrying grocery bags.

He pocketed his keys, only glad that Yuki didn't accidently take his access card like the last time she borrowed his car, and put on his brown lace up boots so that he could finally head out for the day.

* * *

 

"Kuran!" Kaname had barely made it downstairs when he heard the familiar gruff voice call out to him, making a shiver of disgust crawl up his spine as he turned towards his landlord with a dark expression.

"What?" he asked, gritting his teeth as his posture tensed up when his landlord gave him a smarmy grin.

"I haven't gotten your rent yet." Kaname narrowed his eyes at the man but internally he was cursing his sister, he had left the money clearly labeled and with the envelope gone it only means that she took it as no one he knew would dare to take that money if they saw it.

"You'll get it." He replied coldly, starting to head towards the doors with the intention of leaving before things got worse.

"Of course…" his landlord said, stopping Kaname in his tracks as he turned towards the man looking at him with a lecherous grin "…There are other ways you can compensate for what I'm owed." He said with a lick of his lips that made Kaname shudder in disgust.

"I'll pass." He deadpanned, immediately turning towards the door and quickly making his escape as he ignored his landlord calling out for him.

* * *

 

The afternoon air was brisk and refreshing as Kaname walked down the street, thankfully it wasn't so crowded and he move with ease. He first went to the bank and paid off the bills before taking out money from his savings to get back the rent, he may have pushed the buttons on the ATM machine with more force than necessary but he considered it a win that he didn't take his frustrations out on the bank teller when she kindly helped him out.

With that done he knew how much he had in his account, as well as the fact that he'd have to dip into his savings again to stock the kitchen with a good amount of food that could last him and his sister for the week until his paycheck came in. He even considered treating himself by getting a more substantial meal because he knew that he couldn't survive the day on only a slice of bread, especially when he had work tonight.

By the time he arrived at the nearest grocery store that wasn't too far from his apartment it had been an hour since he had woken up and luckily the store wasn't too crowded so he grabbed a shopping cart and started navigating his way through the store, starting with the fruit and vegetable isle.

He was being conscious of the prices and how much he was going to carry back home, he was sticking to vegetables mainly due to fruit not being a necessity as they were expensive for what they were worth. He grabbed a small bag of potatoes, some onions, and carrots that could be used in simple meals throughout the week, mainly lunch and dinner but since his work hours were nightly and he tended to skip dinner at home but it should last Yuki through the week if she planned her meals.

He was searching for the eggs when his phone rang and when he went to answer it, he saw Yuki's name on the screen. Kaname answered it but before he could get a word in Yuki was already speaking.

"Kaname can you wire me a ten thousand yen!?" Kaname simply blinked when he got the question sprung on him, he didn't know what to expect but it certainly wasn't that.

"…Why?" Kaname hesitantly asked, while he usually tended to give in to Yuki's desires he wasn't having the best day, especially with learning that Yuki didn't hand in their rent and he had to deal with their landlord after waking up.

"Get off the phone Yuki!" Kaname could hear the reprimand in the background from a familiar voice, along with a bit of commotion that made him pull the phone away from his ear abruptly. He waited a moment before bringing it close once again.

"… Yuki?" Kaname asked, wondering what was happening on his sister's end, he got no response but could hear a lot of commotion in the background "…I'm a bit busy at the moment, sorry." Kaname said awkwardly as he hung up the phone with a bewildered expression, putting it away as he resumed his grocery shopping. He wasn't sure why Yuki wanted ten thousand yen and while he was usually amicable with his sister's wants and needs, he was still bitter about her taking the rent money and having him deal with their lecherous landlord and her asking for money made him more suspicious as to what she was using the money for if the rent money wasn't enough.

After finding the eggs he carefully placed a carton in his cart before navigating through the store searching for a few basic essentials that could last through the week such as a hefty yet affordable bag of rice, bottles of soy sauce, mirin, cooking oil, a packet of curry roux, a couple jars of crushed garlic and ginger, and a bag of potato starch to ensure that there would at least be a variety of meals for Yuki when he had to work late and missed dinner.

With everything that went in the cupboard done with he went to the meat isle, so far meat wasn't exactly cheap and it would have to be very minimal with what he could get. He steered clear of the beef and lamb when he caught a glimpse of their prices and stuck to the chicken and pork as they were the cheapest options, as he was considering his options his phone rang again, once pulling it out of his pocket he found Yuki's name on the caller ID once more and with a sigh answered his phone.

"Yes Yuki?" Kaname asked, as his garnet orbs were flicking back and forth between the pork and chicken.

"Sorry about that, Sara and I got into a bit of a fight." Kaname remained silent as he knew that the voice trying to end the call was Sara but didn't know how to respond to what his sister told him as usually when Yuki and Sara fought things could get pretty ugly and he'd have to act as mediator between them since Sara was more his friend than Yuki's and Yuki was his little sister.

"What happened?" Kaname asked in exasperation.

"She got mad when I called to borrow money, now not only did I miss out on the sale but we both got banned from the mall for a month." Yuki complained, making Kaname pinch the bridge of his nose in frustration at his sister's dilemma.

"Yuki…" Kaname started, taking a deep breath before continuing "…What happened to the rent money?" he finally asked the question he really needed to know the answer to as it was troubling that the envelope was missing and only his sister would have access to it.

"W-Well…" Yuki stammered which made Kaname's eyes narrow in suspicion while he looks down at the meet, his piercing gaze making people keep their distance from him "You see… I was going to pay it but when I was walking down the stairs, I saw the sale at the mall and sort of… Forgot to pay the landlord…" she gave an awkward chuckle while Kaname was simply unimpressed.

"And you still have the rent money, right?" Kaname asked as Yuki nervously chuckled.

"Funny story…" Kaname ran his hand through his hair as he took a deep breath, knowing that it was anything but good.

"You spent it didn't you?" Kaname asked, getting a brief moment of silence before his sister answered.

"…Yes." She said meekly as Kaname gripped his hair in frustration, trying to hold back from throwing his phone in anger.

"Look, I'm a bit busy at the moment but we'll talk about this later." He didn't get a reply from his sister but said a quick goodbye and hung up, focusing on the task he had before he got the call and since chicken was cheaper than pork he got both a pack breast and thigh meat and headed down to the dairy section to get a carton of milk. As he was heading down the aisle he felt his stomach grumble and cramp, Kaname felt stressed and annoyed with today's occurrences, especially when knowing that he had work tonight and he just didn't want his personal life crossing over with his work, he felt he at least deserved to treat himself to a half decent meal after today's mess.

* * *

 

By the time Kaname arrived back at his apartment building he was carrying four bags of groceries, two in each arm and now hunched over the door lock, and he was feeling the stain on his muscles when he had to open the door with his card dangling from his keys, flicking it against the sensor until he heard the blessed beep and the doors sliding open for him.

He stepped in the doors and approached the letterboxes; he put down on of the bags so that he could unlock his own and grab the mail, tucking it under his occupied arm before closing it back up and grabbing the shopping once more in the hands that contained his keys before crossing the ground floor.

"Kuran~" Kaname stopped, displeasure painted on his features as he turned to his landlord with an annoyed glare "Your rent?" he asked, Kaname put down the shopping bags and pocketed his keys before grabbing his wallet and grabbing the rent money and shoving it on the counter in front of his landlord, he sent the younger man a smirk as he counted the money while Kaname put away his wallet, grabbed his keys and picked up his groceries, heading towards the stairs due to the elevator being broken "Come back anytime." He called out suggestively but Kaname gritted his teeth, growling under his breath as he started climbing the stairs. The desire to get away from his landlord pushed him to hurry up the stairs, ignoring the strain in his arms and the tension in his legs with each ascending step he took if it meant getting further from the lecherous worm.

* * *

 

By the time Kaname reached his floor he almost felt like collapsing on the ground, his arms almost on the verge of falling off as he shuffled towards his apartment, face flushed in exhaustion as he slid his keys into the lock and opened the door; relief flooded him as he entered his apartment and kicked the door closed, heading to the kitchen and dumping the shopping on the kitchen counter and placing the letter next to them in order to empty his hands, he allowed his arms to fall to his side and leaned his back against the sink, breathing heavily as he struggled to keep standing.

All he wanted to do was just collapse on his bed and sleep for eternity, his muscles were in agony, he was emotionally drained to the point of exhaustion, and he didn't want to work tonight; He wished it could be as simple to do such a thing but he knew he couldn't as he was the only one who could take responsibility as Yuki was on her last year of high school and he had already given up too much already just to stop.

After his muscles felt a little more relaxed he removed his shoes, placing them by the door, and reached into one of the bags to take out a gyudon bento box that was marked down the half price, he put the allocated time on his microwave and started heating it up before putting everything away in their designated places until all that was left was a single bag with the rest of his lunch. To join his gyudon he got himself an egg salad sandwich, a cream caramel pudding and a bottle of green tea to accompany it all, this was as close as he got to treating himself for any occasion as he was the most conservative with his money in comparison to his sister, he didn't really take much enjoyment in materialistic things or seek any type of relationship as his work would complicate things more than necessary. The closest he ever got to a relationship was the one moment three years ago with Zero, it was the only time he had been purchased for someone who didn't look at him like a piece of meat, instead being treated like a normal person and opening up to him emotionally, something he wasn't even able to completely do with those closest to him.

He wished he could go back to that moment when everything felt so simple, when he could cherish that brief amount of time where his life wasn't on the verge of falling apart. It was the memory of his time with Zero that was giving him a modicum of hope that maybe, just maybe his life won't be stuck in the bottomless abyss he was desperate to climb out of.

The sudden beep from the microwave jarred Kaname from his dreary thoughts; he realized his surroundings and opened the microwave, taking out the piping hot gyudon with the tips of his fingers, shaking them to cool them down before opening the plastic top to be faced with the savory meaty scent of the hot and fatty beef.

He grabbed a tea towel and used it to help carry the steaming dish over to the dining table before going back to the kitchen to grab the sandwich, pudding and drink to accompany it along with the disposable chopsticks that came with the gyudon. Once seating himself down with his meal ready he separated the chopsticks and clapped his hands together, satisfied with finishing everything he wanted to get done in the day so he could finally relax for a brief moment before he had to go to work.

"Itadakimasu." He said before using his chopsticks to pick up a good portion of beef and rice and was about to take a bite when the door slammed open.

"Kaname!" the familiar voice of his sister calling out to him made him put his bite of food back and turn to see his sister running towards him in distress, carrying a few bags on her arms with numerous store names he recognized but never went to due to their exuberant prices.

"What happened?" he asked in a tired exasperation, knowing from Yuki's state that the fight with Sara must be more serious than he previously thought.

"Sara lost it today." She exclaimed, throwing his car keys onto the counter and placing her bags down "She just got into it with me about calling you and things just got so bad that security was called and we both got banned from the mall for a month." Yuki stated as she flitted about the kitchen, Kaname tried to be interested as he turned back to his meal, picking up a mouthful of rice and fatty beef and finally getting to eat his lunch "And not only did I not get the scarf I was calling you about but I didn't get to Forever 21 in time for the sale." Kaname hummed as he savored the first bite of his meal, the savory explosion of flavor made him sigh in ecstasy as he continued digging into his meal "I was already pressed for time when I got to the mall since traffic was a nightmare and I was twenty minutes late when I met up with the girls." Kaname nodded silently as he took another mouthful of his gyudon while Yuki was flitting about the kitchen "But even before I called Sara was in a bad mood and it just- Kaname!" Yuki's exclaimed once she saw that her brother's attention was elsewhere, Kaname hummed as he turned to face his sister with a mouthful of food and his chopsticks poised over the gyudon "Have you listened to a single thing I said?" she asked incredulously, her older brother swallowing his food and was prepared to answer but Yuki went back to her one-sided conversation "Anyway, she was pretty sour when I arrived and it ruined the mood already…" Kaname turned back to his food as he slowly started tuning her out in order to focus on his meal, he was already preparing for the inevitable phone call that would follow with Sara demanding for his company in the aftermath of her fight with his sister.

As he was nearly finishing his gyudon did his phone finally ring, stopping his sister from continuing to vent to him as he looked at the caller ID and instead of his closest female friend, it was work so with a sigh he answered the phone.

"Hello." he answered, keeping his tone neutral so that he didn't garner any suspicion from Yuki.

_"Kuran, you'll be working earlier than expected tonight."_

"Really?" he asked, glancing at his sister every now and then as he opened the packaging to his egg salad sandwich.

_"An escort job at six o'clock; you'll be accompanying a lovely young lady to the Ritz-Carlton hotel for dinner."_

"I don't usually do those jobs." Kaname responded with a frown as he took a bite of his sandwich, Blue Orchid usually worked with the sexual preference of their workers due to his boss having the belief that their work is easier to do if they don't feel uncomfortable or disgusted with having sex with their clients due to their gender preference due to the fact that it was already awkward enough getting paid to have sex with strangers. Because of that he never had female clients in the four years he had worked at Blue Orchid so getting a female client after working there for so long confused him.

_"The client specified that she wasn't interested in sexual favors and insisted on your company even when we offered other choices."_

"Is that so?" Kaname asked, still suspicious as to why after so long he was getting a female client when the club had a strict set of rules when matching their workers with the clientele.

_"She will meet you at the bar; she asks you wear something elegant."_

Kaname gave a long sigh as he knew he had to take the job, especially since it meant extra pay for the week and any earnings he got from work helped towards his expenses "Fine, I'll do it." He said reluctantly as he took an aggressive bite out of his sandwich, gaining the details of his first female client's intended 'date' and what he needed to do before the call ended.

"Is everything okay?" Yuki asked him as she saw the annoyed frown on her brother's face.

"Yeah, it's just work." Kaname waved her off as he turned back to his lunch, his gyudon and sandwich leaving a sour feeling in his belly at the thought of working tonight.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back as promised!
> 
> Hope everyone's been having a great start to 2019!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight

 

By the time Kaname was ready the sun was setting and he was looking in the mirror trying to find any flaw in his appearance, his hair was washed and brushed, his black suit jacket and pants held no creases, his dark grey button up shirt contrasting nicely and with the top two buttons undone in his preferred style, and his black leather shoes polished with zero scuff marks, the carefully picked outfit best suited to the Ritz-Carlton's illustrious tastes and he finished it off with just a light spray of cologne with a woodsy musk that wasn't overpowering to the senses.

He knew he looked impeccable but didn't feel it, the only good thing he could feel was clean from the shower he had before he got dressed but he knew the feeling wouldn't last for long because despite the escort job being strictly platonic there was still the matter of the work afterwards at Blue Orchid that would ruin the feeling the second he entered. He put on his grey pea coat to hide his top half without arousing too much suspicion from his sister before walking out of his room to grab everything he needed such as his phone, wallet and car keys.

"I'm going to work Yuki!" Kaname called out as he was heading to the door, hearing a muffled reply from her room before leaving, only feeling a slight modicum of relief that he could leave through the garage and not have to see his landlord on the way out.

* * *

Driving through the city at night was different than Kaname's usual route to Blue Orchid, he couldn't hear the rumbling base of night clubs or the throngs of people gathered at the bars like he usually did. Instead it was only the sounds of traffic breaking through the silence.

The difference wasn't bad per say, in all honesty Kaname found it much more calming in comparison the club scene he was familiar with due to his job's location. It had been so long since he had driven to the more eloquent parts of the city that he forgot how peaceful it was at night with the towering skyscrapers with their mirrored windows reflecting the passing lights as he traversed uptown.

As he was approaching the Ritz-Carlton hotel he pulled over a couple buildings before the illustrious hotel, he was trying to level his breathing and was looking in his mirror to make sure his mask was infallible, rehearsing the subtle lowering of his eyes and practiced smile that he knew off by heart that usually worked when he was placed in the 'dating' part of his job, not that he considered it dating since in his experience dating involved knowing and having a genuine interest in the person he was with rather than getting paid for dinner and sex before heading to Blue Orchid for his shift.

"You can do this." He whispered to himself as he looked at himself once more in the mirror, the only good thing he could get from this escort job was the fact that he didn't have to sleep with the client before going to the club "Just smile, listen and remember to breathe." He nodded in confirmation before straightening his mirror back into place, taking off his pea coat and was placing it in the back seat when something caught his eye on the floor in the back of the car. He put his coat on the seat and reached over to pick up the unfamiliar item on the floor that was almost hidden underneath the passenger front seat and could only frown in confusion at what he found.

It was a men's Henley shirt that Kaname knew didn't belong to him because not only was it two sizes bigger than him, it also smelt of both cologne and coffee with the latter being obvious when he saw the coffee stain along the front of the shirt. It was puzzling as he knew that if Yuki bumped into someone and spilt coffee on them she wouldn't take their shirt with her unless she knew him personally, he tried thinking back to this afternoon to try and recall if she mentioned bumping into any guy they knew but the only males he could think of his sister possibly bumping into was his cousin Senri and his Uncle Rido and he knew it couldn't be either of them since to his knowledge Senri was out of town for the next couple of days for work and Rido's casual wear was nothing less than Chanel.

This made Kaname suspicious as to whether Yuki was hiding something from him because he always tried to assure Yuki that she could talk to him about anything, including whether she gained someone new in her life so he couldn't understand why she didn't mention anything about this to him.

He knew he couldn't dwell on the matter tonight but pinned it to the back of his mind before putting the shirt on the seat opposite his jacket before driving to the front of the hotel and stepping out of his car as the valet came to give him his ticket and he handed over his keys, he was certain nothing would happen to his car since he had his wallet and phone on him so after placing the ticket inside his jacket pocket he headed into the hotel.

* * *

Upon entering the gilded entrance of the Ritz-Carlton, Kaname felt a little overwhelmed at the expensive décor surrounding him as his shoes clicked against the marble floor. He slowly traversed through the lobby and headed past the front desk, trying not to feel inadequate as he was passing by all the fancily dressed guests before he reached the entrance to the restaurant and bar.

He made his way towards the bar, remembering his instructions from the phone call, and seated himself with a tall glass of ice water to help try and steady his nerves. He tried recalling the last time he had to do an escort job, he couldn't put a face to the 'date' but he remembered it was to attend some movie premiere with one of his more well paid clients with a BDSM fetish who hired him for the entire night. It wasn't a horrible experience per say but his client always managed to give him the most intense experience he had ever had compared to any other client he served.

Considering this client was not only female but not requiring any sexual services he could only assume she was looking for companionship for reasons he knew not of but it wasn't his place to question, he would simply have to listen to whatever ails her or act as a date who would be interested in her life, both things he could easily achieve once his mask was in place and his nerves hardened.

With each sip of water he reminded himself to steady himself to reduce his hand shaking each time he picked up and lowered his glass and he practiced his smile in the reflection of the black bar top, the common phrases he knew by heart echoing in his head as he vividly imagined the scenario in his head.

Kissing her hand as he greeted her with a charming smile, being seated and asking how she is, listen to what she tells him with an interested expression and answer within reason when she asks questions, and by the end of it tell her he had a lovely time and say goodbye.

It felt achievable in his mind; there should be no reason for it to fail as there was no reason for anything to be complicated in one simple dinner date.

"Kaname…" The familiar voice made an icy chill shoot through Kaname's very soul to the point of his mask shattering, he prayed he was wrong, that he was just mistaken due to the stress of today and that the woman he was to dine with wasn't who he thought it was, as he slowly turned towards the voice but could only stare at the young woman before him with a horrified expression.

Stood before him with her long amass of blonde curls pinned up in an elegant up do, her pale skin contrasting against the deep red lips and wine red off the shoulder tulle dress with her deceivingly innocent soft blue eyes lightly framed with dark eyeshadow, she was stood tall in her black heels with a dignified reverence that seemed natural to her as she held his gaze with an unflinching serene expression.

Kaname didn't want to believe it; he tried telling himself it was just his mind playing tricks on him but there was no use denying the inevitable as she approached him.

"Sara..." Kaname finally found his voice and could not hide his shock as he held eye contact with the very friend that Yuki got into an argument with only a mere few hours ago.

* * *

Kaname was constantly reminding himself to breath as the waiter led him and Sara to their table and eventually seated with glasses of water and bread left for them after they made their orders and were left alone since her arrival, the silence between them was tense and Kaname could tell that she was simply waiting for him to break it since she wasn't the one who had to explain herself.

"How long have you known?" he asked, breaking the silence and bringing up the dreaded question he was reluctant to have answered as it didn't promise anything good.

"I just found out today." She responded with a bored tone, her expression unchanging as she regarded Kaname calmly but the brunette knew better than to relax under such a gaze, Sara was elegant as she was cut throat and to lower his guard after she discovered his long kept secret put him more on edge than ever.

"How..?" Kaname felt his insides churning while he tried to keep himself composed, it would have been an easy feat if it were with a normal customer but this wasn't just some forgettable face, it was Sara, one of the few people who could read him like a book even when he was presenting his usual mask.

"I'm sure you know about Yuki and me." Kaname silently nodded at her statement as he took a sip of water "Yuki has been more irritating than she usually is and I can only deal with her for so long until I couldn't take it anymore." Sara simply looked bored but Kaname knew better than to further comment on how her method of not tolerating Yuki was apparently her 'losing it' in Yuki's words.

"So you went to Blue Orchid?" he asked with an incredulous tone but there was still a glimmer of amusement in his eyes that she was able to catch, causing her red lips to twitch upwards ever so slightly.

"Shizuku didn't want to deal with me ranting about Yuki, he suggested Blue Orchid for, in his words 'company that can deal with my issues'." Sara stated with a blasé tone, Kaname rolled his eyes at the statement as he very much believed Touma would send Sara to one of the best high end strip clubs in the city that doubled as an escort agency rather than deal with her complaints about Yuki.

"And you asked for me?" he asked with a raised eyebrow as confusion leaked through his voice as she shot him a playful look.

"I was hoping for a pretty girl when I walked in; imagine my surprise when I saw your photo when I asked for the best." She stated, eyes shining with a catty elation "And in such scandalous outfits too." Sara teased with an amused smirk adorning her lips; Kaname averted his eyes from her as his cheeks turned red in embarrassment.

"So why did you ask for me?" Kaname asked as he could easily imagine Sara demanding for him even if the club was denying her request due to his sexuality but he also knew she wasn't someone to do things on a whim, she usually had a reason behind her actions.

"Boredom..." Sara sipped her water as her manicured nails tapped against the wood of the table, the action reminding Kaname of a predator waiting to strike at their prey "But I also felt petty." She added with a shrug as she lowered her glass.

"Why not buy the scarf Yuki wanted to get back at her?" he asked as he raised his glass to take a sip of water, knowing that Sara was well off enough that she could purchase and own designer clothes whilst owning her own apartment due to her work as a PR officer with her father's talent agency. He could easily list off the times that she did do that whenever Yuki got her especially mad to the point where she would purchase whatever it was Yuki wanted for herself just to get back at her, of course it also depended on what Yuki wanted since Sara was especially picky when it came to not only designer brands but the overall style as she wasn't going to purchase it if she thought it was hideous.

"I'm not petty enough to spend seventy five thousand yen on a scarf just to get back at her." She answered coolly with an unimpressed expression, carefully observing Kaname for his reaction to the revelation.

"What!?" Kaname choked on his water as he was going over the price in his head 'That's more than our rent! What type of scarf is worth that much? Why does it cost that much? Why did she want it?' Kaname was struggling to understand Yuki's reasoning for wanting the thing in the first place, the thoughts racing through his head only served to further confuse him as he tried understanding his sister's mentality for her actions.

"What did she tell you?" she asked with an exasperated sigh, knowing that Yuki must of omitted certain truths that were rather important in the fight they had today, most likely in an attempt to keep Kaname from siding against her in the matter.

"I heard you apparently 'lost it' because she called me." Kaname informed her as he tried to remember Yuki's rant from this afternoon, which was the most he could take from her rant since everything else wasn't something he could consider of importance.

"Did she tell you how I told her not to call you for money?" Kaname looked at her with surprise while Sara remained composed "I also might have called her a selfish little brat." She added which didn't surprise him as much.

"…Really?" Kaname asked incredulously as the waiter was approaching their table with a tray carrying two plates.

"Shizuku called her something worse." Sara responded as their appetizers were placed before them, Sara had ordered for both of them when he tried to order a small salad but he couldn't exactly fault her for her decision as before him were six baked oyster scampi with a white wine butter sauce, the aroma alone was enough to make his mouth water "Things got a little heated after she hit me with her purse." That statement was enough to pull Kaname out of his food driven thoughts and regard his friend with an apologetic look.

"Oh… Sorry." Kaname apologized genuinely, he couldn't recall a time when Yuki and Sara's arguments got physical and it wasn't like she deserved it for trying to reign in his sister's spending.

"It's okay; I pushed her into a mannequin display for it." Sara stated before she ate her first oyster, Kaname hesitantly grabbed his own oyster and had to stifle a moan of pleasure when the rich buttery sauce hit his tongue and the salty flavor of the oyster exploded when he bit into it "We're banned from the mall for a month after things escalated." She said with an amused smirk as she observed Kaname's reactions as he savored the delicious treat and seemed to be more at ease as he swallowed it.

"I'm sure your parents are happy about that." Kaname replied sarcastically before he ate his second oyster, Sara simply tittered at his sarcasm.

"Well your presence certainly made my night better." She commented with a smirk as she took a sip of her water.

"I thought you preferred the company of women with impeccable style." Kaname commented with an amused glint in his eyes as he had just grabbed his third oyster and ate the delicious morsel.

"I do, but that doesn't mean I can't enjoy pleasantries with my favorite pet." Sara said before eating her second oyster, making Kaname's features scrunch up in annoyance while he was eating when she called him by her favorite nickname for him. He had long gotten used to the fact that as friends she loved him in a similar way to how an owner loves a beloved pet but that still didn't stop the nickname pushing his buttons whenever she used it to get a reaction from him.

"And you couldn't ask to talk to me over the phone because…" he trailed off, looking to her for answers but she gave him an incredulous look.

"Would you have been able to keep it secret if I called?" Kaname didn't respond as he ate his fourth oyster, avoiding eye contact with Sara as he did so but it was enough to answer her question since he knew well enough that trying to keep a phone call between him and Sara discreet whilst Yuki was in proximity would be very difficult "I thought so." Sara then ate her third oyster and as she was chewing gained a relaxed composure "So how do these things usually go?" she asked after swallowing, Kaname was eating his fifth oyster when she asked and could only look at her in confusion "I'd imagine you don't usually talk about your sister during work hours." She said with a casual wave.

"It goes how a normal date usually goes." He answered nonchalantly, Sara simply raised an eyebrow as she ate her forth oyster "I'd ask about their day and usually it'd be a very one-sided conversation with me having to act interested, depending on who I'm with. Sometimes it's just the date but if it isn't then I usually take a taxi to the date to avoid them knowing the type of car I drive." Kaname said with a shrug while Sara looked disappointed at his lackluster answer.

"It sounds dull." Sara commented before eating her fifth oyster "How do you get through it?" she asked curiously.

"I got good at acting." As Kaname ate his last oyster Sara pondered at his answer as she ate her final oyster with a contemplative look.

"So do you have to act a lot?" Sara sipped her water, her eyes keeping a keen observation as Kaname shrugged in response.

"Most of the time I just go on auto-pilot, it's easier when I don't think about it." He answered with a dull tone, making Sara frown at his resignation.

"How long?" Kaname is silent as knows that the answer would not make her happy but Sara narrowed her eyes at him "How long have you done this job Kaname?" her tone firm and leaving no room for resistance.

"… Nearly five years." His answer made Sara release a heavy breath as she clasped her hands together, it was the only thing keeping her grounded as she felt so tempted to scream in frustration because of the knowledge she had learned.

"We can still fix this." Sara stated but Kaname released a sigh of disbelief, earning him a stern glare "We can, I can call my father; I can kick start your career and…" she stopped when Kaname raised his hand but the resigned expression did nothing but anger her.

"I can't accept it Sara, you know I can't." she glared at him for his answer, knowing that his response would be the same as it was in high school when her father offered him the job opportunity "It would be difficult to take care of Yuki while focusing on an idol career, especially since I've been out of practice since I graduated." It was taking all of Sara's restraint to not slam her palm on the table and cause a scene, she had watched the change in Kaname in the years they knew each other and didn't like it, she wished she could have stepped in before Yuki's presence became the center of Kaname's life. If only they knew each other before high school, maybe she could have acted as the enforcer Yuki needed in her life so that Kaname wasn't trapped to his sister's whims, it would have made things so different for the three of them but Sara knew that Kaname would have been better that way, he would have had the freedom to take other career paths and not be stuck to his sister's beck and call.

"She isn't a child anymore." She shot back bitterly, Kaname didn't speak as the waiter approached with their entrees balanced on a tray and placed them down in front them. He cleared away their empty plates then bid them a quick farewell, leaving both Sara and Kaname in a tense silence that neither knew how to break. Kaname looked down at his pasta aglio e olio with a conflicted expression; he would have preferred that his night with Sara not take this turn as she was one of the few people in his life who could see past his masks, mainly due to having similar masks herself due to her upbringing.

Kaname looked across to see Sara twirling her linguine vongole with her fork, her face composed but as she took an aggressive bite and pursed her lips as she chewed he could tell she was still upset with him and wouldn't be in the mood for talking, not unless he wanted to start an argument with her and he preferred not starting a scene with her. Kaname knew when she got like this it was best to let her cool down and allow her to break the silence when she was ready, he turned back to his food and with the first bite he tried to enjoy the simple yet flavorful dish but Sara being mad at him was leaving a sour aftertaste when he swallowed his bite and made his stomach uneasy.

The silence was only filled with cutlery hitting the plates and it only served to make the tension uncomfortably thick between them as they ate, as their pasta was dwindling Sara's posture was steadily relaxing and she looked up at her morose friend to see how the soured atmosphere was affecting him. With his avoidance of not only looking at her but also breaking the silence she knew it would have to be up to her as it was her that started the forbidden topic in the first place.

"I'm not apologizing." She stated bluntly, Kaname looked up and silently nodded in response as he knew she wasn't a person who would offer false niceties for the sake of others "It just gets so aggravating seeing you go through all this and not even tell me." Her expression was stern but her voice leaking through her anger at the situation she only recently discovered her friend was in.

"You shouldn't have to deal with my problems." Kaname responded which only made Sara narrow her eyes at him.

"As your friend I see no reason why I shouldn't help you through them." She shot back "I can understand not telling Yuki but why didn't you tell me?" Kaname avoided looking her in the eye as he was finishing off his pasta; he didn't know how he could tell Sara of the work he did right after he graduated high school because it wasn't something she could completely understand when he was offered such a promising future.

How could he explain his reasons for the choice he made, it wasn't like enjoyed doing what he did but if he had to choose between the unknown angel and the devil he knew he would always choose the devil because he knew what to expect from them, especially when they could affect the lives of both him and his sister.

From the silence she received, Sara sighed and straightened herself up when it became clear she wasn't going to get an answer.

"Okay, you don't have to tell me." She said as she crossed her leg over the other and gave him a serious look "I have one thing I want to know and you better not lie to me." She spoke with a clipped tone but Kaname knew he wouldn't be able to keep silent to her this time "Did you take this job because of Yuki?" she asked, Kaname hesitated but knew lying to Sara was unachievable as she could read him too well that trying to deceive her would only serve to annoy her.

"It's more than just her." He told her both vaguely and honestly, Sara kept a keen eye on him to search for any signs of deception but once it became clear there was none she nodded in acceptance.

With their entrees finished the waiter came to them in order to clear their plates and when he asked if they would like anything else, before Kaname could get a word in Sara was quick to respond.

"We'll need two tiramisus and two glasses of Vin Santo." She said while giving Kaname a stern look "We require a pick me up." The waiter nodded and wrote down the order before leaving them alone after clearing their table as Kaname frowned with Sara's decision for dessert.

"I don't need dessert Sara." He told her but received an unimpressed look from her.

"I like spoiling you." She stated as if it were the most obvious thing "You don't treat yourself enough so let me do it for you." Kaname never truly understood this side of Sara in the years that they had been friends since she seemed to think that friendship involved taking him out to buy him things, something that had luckily calmed down as they got older but she still hadn't kicked the habit yet.

They spent the next few minutes silence until the waiter brought over their dessert accompanied by a dainty glass of golden Vin Santo wine, Sara looked pleased with the arrival and gave a quick thanks to the waiter and was quick to take a spoonful of her dessert, moaning in delight at the first bite. Kaname was more hesitant but it was a sharp look from Sara the prompted him to grab his spoon and start on his dessert, after the first bite he could see why Sara seemed so happy to order it when the bitter coffee and cocoa mixed with the rich mascarpone and cream hit his tongue.

"Still don't want dessert?" she asked coyly as she took a small sip of her wine, Kaname gave her an amused glare as he had another bite of the tiramisu "So is this night going better than you thought?" she asked before taking another bite.

"You've certainly been a highlight." He told her, the blonde preened in pride.

"I'd be insulted if I wasn't." with the mood lighter, Kaname found himself taking pleasure from this evening as both he and Sara continued to converse and enjoyed each other's company. Both felt more at ease and for once Kaname started to relax in her presence, the normalcy was pleasant and something he hadn't had the chance to enjoy nor thought he would enjoy considering he originally thought he was in for an evening with a complete stranger.

But like all good things that must come to an end, eventually their tiramisus were devoured and their wine glasses emptied, signifying the end to their dinner date and after Sara paid for the bill Kaname escorted her to the front of the Ritz-Carlton, he handed the valet his ticket and both waited for his car to arrive.

"You need a ride home?" he asked, more than happy to drive her there if it meant making sure she got home safe as well as delaying as much time as he could before heading to work.

"I've got a town car arranged." She replied in a blithe tone, Kaname tried to keep himself composed but he noticeably deflated at her answer "But for your company I'm more than happy to cancel it." She said with a smirk just as the Valet arrived with Kaname's car, after sending a quick message to cancel her arranged car she entered Kaname's car alongside him and Kaname pulled out of the hotel's driveway.

* * *

The drive was quiet yet peaceful, the atmosphere calming for both Kaname and Sara but despite that Kaname couldn't help glancing in his mirror that faced the back of his car, remembering the shirt with an unknown owner that resided in the back. He always trusted Sara to tell him if Yuki tried to hide anything serious from him but he was uncertain if she would know if Yuki met anyone new in her life let alone if she was dating.

"Hey…" he spoke quietly, breaking the silence and gaining Sara's attention "…You'd tell me if Yuki started dating, right?" he asked, getting a pensive look from the blonde.

"I'd give you hints to talk to her but if she's not telling you then yeah, probably." She replied softly while Kaname considered her words "Honestly I'd congratulate the guy who can put up with her enough to date her." He rolled his eyes at the comment as he mulled over the idea of his sister possibly having a boyfriend, he had met a few she had gained through school but this seemed different compared to her previous passing interests since she never seemed to hold any reservations in introducing them to him so he couldn't understand why she felt the need to not mention anything to him.

"Do you know if she has a boyfriend?" he asked and Sara shook her head in response.

"I don't really concern myself with her personal life." She replied in a bored tone but could see the distress in Kaname's features from her reply "But she seems to be more scatter brained than she usually is." She added, thinking back on Yuki's behavior over the past week to recall if there was any change in her whether it was big or small.

"Really?" Kaname tried to recall if Yuki was like that lately, it might be due to their sporadic timetables since she was usually at school during weekdays but since she was on break she was out more often while he usually slept in till noon due to his work hours so he couldn't completely tell if she was going through any changes, something he felt admittedly guilty for and Sara could read it just from the one word reply.

"Don't worry…" she offered, placing her hand on his shoulder in an attempt to comfort him "…Unlike some sucker that caught her attention, you're irreplaceable." Her words were reassuring and while they offered a slight comfort for him he didn't completely relax, especially when he pulled up several feet from Sara's apartment building and knew he'd have to get to work as soon as she left his car.

"Glad we could talk." Sara said as she unbuckled her seat belt and Kaname sagged against his seat.

"Yeah…" He replied quietly before opening his door and stepping out as she followed suit, the night air was refreshing upon his face with the cool breeze brushing his hair back.

"When are you free?" she asked, getting an incredulous look from him "Just to hang out, you're overdue for a shopping trip." That only served to make Sara follow with a giggle when she saw Kaname look at her with an annoyed expression, his cheeks puffed out and lips pouting as he did so. Kaname hated shopping with Sara as it mainly involved being forced into dressing rooms and trying on countless outfits she picked out for him before buying only a few articles of clothing after he fights tooth and nail to get her not to buy out an entire store for him, it still remains a trying experience but the only thing he enjoyed from those days was at the end of it when they would go to a café to sit and chat. Those moments he preferred most as he didn't feel like he was rushing from place to place, he wished he could have more of those moments but their timetables hadn't been able to click due to her focusing on promoting an idol's new album for her father's company for the past month and only recently having free time.

"I don't need anything." He told her in a disgruntled tone as she walked around his car and stepped onto the sidewalk.

"But I like spoiling my pet." She shot back with a smirk; Kaname rolled his eyes as she hooked her arm around his and they both started walking towards her apartment building.

"If you feel like spoiling me just take me out for coffee." He suggested, earning him a light giggle from Sara as they stopped in front of her door and she let go of him to step onto the first step.

"You can be selfish every once in a while." Sara said, giving him a slight smile and serious look in her eyes that made Kaname smile slightly, it was rare to see her in such a state as she was often sporting a soft amused smile with calculating eyes but this was possibly one of the few times he truly caught her off guard in all the years they knew each other.

"No, I can't." he said calmly, his smile melancholic as Sara considered his words with calm regard before they bid each other good night and she entered her apartment building while Kaname walked back to his car.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed the new chapter!
> 
> I had to do some research in order to get this one down, I also worked with what I know and believe it or not but Italian restaurants are pretty popular in Japan so I worked with that and looked up good foods for Sara and Kaname to eat.
> 
> I haven't tried oyster scampi but I've tried oysters and white wine butter sauce and I reckon those two would pair together so well, Pasta Aglio e Olio is a simple pasta dish that is really good with only six ingredients at most, for context it's the pasta dish seen in 'Chef', and Linguine Vongole is a pasta dish with clams and white wine sauce, I tried when I visited Japan and it's really good.
> 
> I'm going to start on the next chapter soon but I have the plot written out for it so I know what I'm working with, I'm possibly going to finish the next chapter when I can, the best I can assume is in less than three months if I'm not too busy.
> 
> Follow, favourite and Review!


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am back once more, hope everyone enjoys!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight

Zero felt as if his arms were going to collapse after he finished up his work to help prepare for tomorrow’s work and was only glad to finish it because afterwards he headed to Kaito’s place for the monthly Friday night Super Smash Bros tournament but since he had arrived early before anyone else and Kaito was making himself coffee, he promptly collapsed on the couch with his friend handing him a coffee mug filled with the dark ambrosia that he gladly accepted only to scrunch up his face in disgust when the sip he took was met with an overpowering burnt bitterness that he never thought possible in coffee and glared at Kaito when he sat down in his armchair and continued working on his laptop that was currently balanced on the armrest.

“Why is it that you screw up making a decent cup of coffee despite living off the stuff?” Zero asked with an annoyed tone while Kaito kept his gaze fixed to his screen as he was taking a hearty mouthful of his own with one hand while his other hand was still typing.

“I like my coffee bitter.” Was Kaito’s response after placing his coffee on the coffee table and turned back to his work.

“There’s bitter and then there’s liquid tar.” Zero commented as he put the cup on the coffee table and just laid his head on the cushion to try and relax after having the busiest day he had ever experienced in three years, he was helping the church set up for a support group but was put in charge of baking everything for tomorrow because the bishop didn’t even trust Kaien to cook instant ramen and Zero was one of the few people who could scare the man away despite working under him so the second he got to work he was stuck for nine hours in a kitchen making cookies, cakes, brownies, finger sandwiches and petite savory pastries for a support group and by the end of it all the very thought of all the sugar and butter he had to use just made him all the more eager to go to the gym tomorrow before he had to go to work, the only saving grace was that he didn’t have to go to work till ten in the morning for all his hard work which he greatly appreciated but was asked to take some flyers for the support group and help spread the word so he planned to hand them out to his friends when they arrived.

“Do you know if any of your parents’ friends are single?” Kaito asked out of the blue which made Zero sit up and look at him incredulously.

“What?” he questioned while Kaito grabbed his coffee to take another sip.

“I’m doing a column about married couples and their single friends; the only thing I’ve gathered is that wives really hate it when their single friend sees their husband’s dick on accident.” Zero blinked a few times at the answer he got, trying to process what Kaito just said.

“Wait, what!?” he asked in shock as his friend didn’t look up from his laptop but did spare Zero a brief glance.

“One of my sources, she had an incident when visiting her friends.” Kaito answered as he continued typing while Zero was still processing what he was doing for work.

“First off, I barely know the people my parents interact with and even if they were single I wouldn’t send them your way.” Zero shot back but Kaito continued to type at his laptop and it was now that Zero was able to get a better look at him, his eyes had dark circles under them from lack of sleep that contrasted against his pale skin, hair unkempt to the point where Zero doubted he showered recently and his clothes were disheveled sweats that made him wonder if those were the very clothes Kaito went to bed in. He could remember Kaito getting like this every time he worked on stories he held no particular interest in and it was becoming more prevalent since he started working for a gossip column in the newspaper since it wasn’t the type of journalism he wanted to pursue, it always got him worried since despite his friend’s disinterest in it Kaito was still willing to put his all into his work “When was the last time you went outside?”  Zero asked with a worried frown and his question was enough to make Kaito pause in his work and contemplate an answer.

“It’s Friday today, right?” Kaito asked, getting a nod in response “Well I met my source on Monday and did further research on Tuesday so I’d say about three days.” He said with a shrug before taking a sip of his coffee and turning back to his laptop as if his answer wasn’t concerning, he caught sight of Zero’s worried look but waved it off “Relax, I’ve gotta have this done in two days so you’ll see me function like a normal human being after that.” He stated but it didn’t ease Zero’s worries since he knew Kaito well enough to know that if he finished this he might just go into a new story before he got some rest.

“Since when were you normal?” he asked in disbelief before settling down on the couch, the only good thing he could hope for was that he could get Kaito away from the laptop for a couple hours and eat a substantial meal once everyone came for the tournament.

Zero couldn’t be more grateful for when Ichiru and Maria arrived carrying multiple bags of Chinese take-out followed by Hanabusa and Sayori but Hanabusa was quickly annoyed when he found that Kaito hadn’t set up the Wii for the tournament so he immediately got onto it, muttering curses under his breath as he got the game set up. It was when Akatsuki arrived with his girlfriend, Ruka that Zero got up from the couch and approached the armchair were Kaito was still seated with his attention solely on his laptop.

“Come on Kaito, give me the laptop.” Zero ordered, getting an aghast frown from him as he gripped the edges tightly, Zero sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose “It’s either give me the laptop or I pour coffee on it, either way you’re not staying on it while we play Super Smash Bros.” Kaito knew Zero well enough to know that he would go through with that threat so he reluctantly saved his work and closed his laptop before handing it over to Zero.

“You’re a sadist for someone of the good book, you know that?” Kaito said as he sat back with his arms crossed, Zero simply rolled his eyes at Kaito’s remark.

“When dealing with you, I have to be.” Zero placed the laptop in Kaito’s room on his bedside table before returning to the living room to see Maria and Ichiru taking the take-out containers out of the bags and started sorting through them.

“Mapo tofu for Akatsuki.” Ichiru held the container and chopsticks out to him and he silently accepted it “Vegetarian wonton soup for Ruka.” He handed her the lidded bowl with a plastic spoon “Sweet and sour pork over rice for Hanabusa.” Ichiru handed it to Maria who handed it to Sayori who placed it next to her whilst Hanabusa had just finished getting the tournament arranged and all that was left was to select characters.

“Dibs on Richter!” Zero called out before anyone could get a word in.

“Eight treasure spicy noodles with grilled squid for the vampire hunter.” Ichiru handed his brother the take out container with his order “Dibs on Cloud.” He added for good measure just as Hanabusa picked Zero’s character and set up the CPU.

“Orange chicken for Kaito.” Maria handed Kaito his food before looking at another container and handed it to Sayori “Beef and broccoli over brown rice for Yori.” She said as she then opened two boxes filled with fried dumplings and egg rolls and scattered the numerous dipping sauces accompanying them “And these are for everyone to share, both are vegetarian so you’ll be able to eat them Ruka.” Maria said before sitting down next to Ichiru who handed her food to her.

“And for my lovely lady.” Ichiru said with a smirk as he handed Maria a container with spicy fried rice, getting a smile from Maria as she pressed against his side.

“Thank you.” She said in a sing-song tone as she leaned her head against her fiancé’s shoulder.

“You two are so cute.” Kaito commented after opening his food container and started playing a bit with his food “It makes me want to puke.” Ichiru shot him a narrowed stare with a coy smirk.

“When your only companion isn’t your right hand, only then can you give your opinion on how I treat the love of my life.” Ichiru shot back, after everyone confirmed the characters they wanted Hanabusa managed to fly through setting the tournament up and it was ready to start.

“I’ll have you know I’m actually seeing someone.” Kaito’s comeback was met with numerous shocked expressions.

“Really?” Zero asked as he took a bite of his food.

“You don’t leave your apartment unless it’s for work related things, how the hell did you find the time to go on dates?” Hanabusa questioned, knowing that Kaito was a creature of habit, very odd habits but the point still stands that barely pays attention to his surroundings when his main focus is work on the off chance he does venture out.

“We kept running into each other at my usual coffee place whenever I met a source for my columns, once it became obvious that we were gonna keep running into each other I just asked her out and she said yes.” Kaito explained before taking a bite of his food, everyone simply stared at him in an attempt to see any form of deception on his end but they knew him well enough to know that he wouldn’t go as far as to lie about being in a relationship when his only loves in life were journalism and coffee.

“So what’s she like?” Ruka asked as she took a spoonful of her soup.

“Well…” Kaito thought for moment as he chewed his food “…She is a bit of a spaz…” that earned him incredulous looks from his friends “…And I wouldn’t call her the prettiest, especially when she gets mad since she looks like a frog with how big her cheeks get…” everyone just stared at him as he described his girlfriend since they were expecting praises instead of insulting remarks about her “…But she somehow makes it look cute, it might be because she’s so short.” Kaito replied with a shrug, everyone just stared at him with dumbfounded expressions, all trying to process how he was a skilled journalist when he had about as much tact as a train crash.

“You’re just so romantic, aren’t you?” Zero asked sarcastically, failing to understand Kaito’s thought process because if he were to date someone he wouldn’t describe them as being similar to a frog.

“Alright!” Hanabusa clapped his hands together with a satisfactory smile “Tournament is set up.” He then threw the controller to Zero before digging into his dinner since Zero was the first character set up and only had to quickly battle the CPU which turned out to be surprisingly tricky since the low level setting just made them surprisingly unpredictable in battle but he managed to win quick enough before passing it over to his brother. Zero immediately remembered the flyers he had to pass out for the support group so after he put his food down he reached over the armrest to grab his bag.

“Do you guys know anyone with bad spending habits?” he asked curiously as he started rummaging through his bag for the flyers.

“Zero I work in debt collecting, some of the crazy spenders I’ve encountered will blow your mind.” Ichiru responded just as he performed a final smash to win his fight and passed the controller over to Akatsuki while next to him Ruka adopted a contemplative expression.

“The church I’m working at got a new support group and I got asked to help spread the word.” Zero said as he pulled out a small handful of flyers and dumped them on the coffee table for everyone to see.

“…Shopaholics anonymous?” Hanabusa asked with a raised eyebrow while Zero glared in response to the unimpressed looks he was getting.

“Well we already have an alcoholics and gamblers anonymous and the church wanted to get more support groups on board.” He responded but to everyone’s surprise Ruka leaned forward and grabbed one of the flyers, giving it a contemplative expression.

“Don’t you work at a fashion magazine?” Kaito asked but got an annoyed look from Ruka.

“I know someone who needs it.” Ruka replied cryptically as she folded the flyer and stuck it in her purse just as Akatsuki threw the controller to Hanabusa after beating the NPC.

* * *

When Kaname awoke it wasn’t to his alarm, he had reached his arm out from under his blankets to grab his phone and bring it back under his protection from the light to see that the time was nine thirteen AM, exactly two hours and forty seven minutes before his alarm was meant to go off and as it became clear he wasn’t going to go back to sleep anytime soon he slowly moved his head out from beneath his blankets to find that the sound that had woken him up were loud familiar voices from outside his bedroom door.

He was reluctant to leave the comfy warmth of his bed to see the reason he was being awakened after an eventful night of work but he knew it would be better to deal with the problem now than trying and failing to go back to sleep with the racket outside so he sluggishly got out of bed, not bothering to change out of his baggy dark grey shirt and boxers as he padded over to his door in bare feet and opened it to find a sight he wasn’t really expecting in the morning.

At the dining table in a heated discussion was his sister dressed in her pajamas with her long hair askew, Sara seated in a form fitting blue turtle neck sweater and black mini skirt, her black stocking clad legs crossed over one another as she simply gazed apathetically at Yuki before shifting her gaze to the other occupants, his cousin’s girlfriend Rima was in much more casual attire with her denim short shorts, black knee socks and a baggy black and red hoodie Kaname recognized Senri wearing on occasion with her hair down instead of up in their familiar pigtails and remaining silent as she watched Yuki argue with the last occupant in the room.

Stood across from Yuki in a heated discussion was his former school mate and friend Ruka Souen, dressed impeccably in a white sleeveless blouse with a ruffle collar and black knee length waist high skirt, her long legs clad in black stockings and her long ash blonde curls pulled back with a black headband as she stared down his petite sister with a stern glare.

“What’s going on?” he asked tiredly, causing the four women to immediately turn to him in surprise but before anyone could answer him a phone rang, the sound distracted them as Rima, Sara and Ruka pulled out their phones just in case it was work related but Kaname followed the sound to find it was Yuki’s phone that was resting on the coffee table and displaying the caller ID for a private number. He walked over to the phone just as Yuki realized it was hers just as he picked it up and ran towards him, lunging over the couch but sprawled out awkwardly with her legs kicked up and her arm stretched out towards her brother.

“Don’t answer it!” she yelled just as Kaname clicked answer and gave his sister a confused expression as he held the phone up to his ear.

“Hello?” he asked, wondering why his sister was freaking out over a phone call.

 _“Hello, may I speak with Yuki Kuran?”_ a male voice responded, it sounded oddly familiar but he just couldn’t recall from where.

 “This is her brother, how may I help?” Kaname asked with suspicion lacing his voice and he kept his eyes locked with Yuki who was looking up at him with sheer terror.

 _“This is Kiryu Ichiru from the all city debt collection agency…”_ That made Kaname’s eyes widen when he heard that answer _“…She’s got an outstanding debt that we have not seen any payments made towards and would like to know her reasons for not doing so.”_

“An outstanding debt, huh?” he asked, narrowing his eyes at his sister who was looking at him with a sheepish smile while jittering nervously.

 _“Has she not spoken of this to you?”_ the debt collector asked as Kaname’s hand tightened around Yuki’s phone in suppressed anger as he tried to keep his tone level.

“Don’t worry; I’ll make sure this is all taken care of once I speak with my sister about it.” He spoke evenly, ending the call with a quick farewell and glaring down at his sister with piercing eyes “Care to explain how you have a debt despite being in high school Yuki?” Kaname asked, crossing his arms as she giggled nervously.

* * *

After a lengthy explanation coupled with finding out about the four credit cards she had and Sara grabbing the numerous credit card bills mailed to Yuki that she had been hiding from him for months, Kaname felt like he was having a brain aneurism which in all honesty would feel like a quiet mercy compared to the pile of unopened envelopes stacked on the table while him and the girls were sat around them.

 “Open them.” He pushed them towards Yuki but she silently shook her head as she pushed them away from her with a look of trepidation, Kaname sighed before grabbing an envelope and opening it “Come on Yuki, you can’t put this off forever.” She just grew more fearful as he took the bill out and unfolded it, his calm expression morphing into shock horror as he looked at the numbers and was opening and closing his mouth as he tried to form words but his brain was still processing the printed numbers “Twenty thousand yen on Marc Jacobs underwear!?” he questioned but got an incredulous look from his sister.

“It’s a basic necessity.” She pointed out but he looked at her with matching incredulity as he read off the next expense that caught his attention.

“Six thousand yen on an oatmeal milk honey daily face routine combo?” he asked as she seemed to struggle for a proper response.

“I-I felt sorry for the shop assistant…” he rolled his eyes but handed the bill to Ruka for her to calculate the expenses “…Her boyfriend broke up with her and she was crying at the cash register…” Kaname grabbed another envelope and opened it “…I didn’t know how to cheer her up and she kept crying when I was only getting shower gel…” Kaname’s eyes widened as he looked at the bill, trying to register all the zeros before him.

“I can’t even...” he trailed off before handing it to Ruka to combine with the other bill’s tally and seeing as it was going to be a long job, both Rima and Sara grabbed envelopes to help decrease the pile and get the job done quicker.

“What…” Rima’s usually quiet voice had risen and he could hear the shock as she was looking over the paper while Sara’s eyes narrowed as she read her own opened envelope.

“And was the hairdresser crying when you went to the salon?” Sara asked sarcastically as she held up the bill she was looking over which earned her a distressed expression from the younger brunette. Envelope after envelope just held nothing but misery as bill after bill was added up and the total growing until they finally reached the last of the bills but it brought no relief as Ruka tallied them up and wordlessly pushed the calculator to Kaname to show him the total amount of Yuki’s debt.

“Yuki…” Kaname spoke as calmly as he could but his hand was trembling as he looked at the number “…How are you going to pay eight million five hundred and eighty nine thousand six hundred and thirty four yen with no job?” he asked as Yuki seemed to think about it briefly before an idea sparked.

“I could win the lottery.” She suggested but received incredulous looks from everyone.

“I think we’re going to need a backup plan.” Kaname responded before Ruka brought out the flyer that sparked the big argument between her and the younger Kuran.

“My inheritance?” she weakly suggested but Kaname narrowed his eyes at her.

“You don’t get your inheritance till you graduate.” He pointed out the big flaw in her plan, especially since the strict rules with their inheritance for them was that as long as they were both eighteen and graduated from high school they could gain their inheritance so while Kaname got his and used it to put a down payment on his apartment while the rest was put towards his savings, Yuki, while she was eighteen had yet to graduate high school since she was on her final year and wouldn’t graduate for several months.

“But we can start with getting her help for the problem.” Ruka stated before slamming a flyer atop the pile of opened envelopes and bills.

“Shopaho- I don’t have a shopping problem!” she exclaimed but got met with incredulous looks from everyone.

“…Really? I don’t know how we got the idea.” Sara replied with an airy tone as she waved one of the bills in hand.

“Well I know one thing that’ll help.” Kaname abruptly stood from the table and his sister’s eyes widened when she witnessed him grab her wallet and start pulling out her credit cards and head over to the kitchen.

“What are you doing?” she questioned only to drop her jaw in horror when her older brother dumped her credit cards on the chopping board and opened the knife draw to grab a large kitchen knife “No!” she was prepared to run at him but was held back by both Ruka and Rima, forced to watch as Kaname violently brought the knife down on the credit cards repeatedly, ignoring his sister’s cries as they were reduced to broken shards of plastic. By the end of it he was breathing heavily and his tight grip on the knife didn’t loosen despite the cathartic pleasure he gained from destroying them that did soothe some of his rage but not completely as he turned his glare towards Yuki who looked as if she was staring at the face of death.

“You’re going to the support group.” He spoke calmly but there was still an edge to his voice, when Yuki opened her mouth to argue Kaname continued “And I don’t care if you don’t want to, I will personally drag you there kicking and screaming if I have to.” Yuki shivered at the cold tone directed at her as it became apparent that this was something she would not be able to fight Kaname on with how righteously pissed he was.

* * *

After arriving at work after a good hour at the gym, Zero was starting to think his day was going relatively well, after spending thirty minutes helping to set up one of the conference rooms for the support group by setting up the seats and moving all the baked goods and finger sandwiches from the kitchen to a table placed on the side with many paper serviettes stacked in front of them Kaien was kind enough to make him a coffee which he accepted as he knew despite the man’s screw ups in regards to cooking he did make surprisingly delicious hot drinks.

“Sorry you had to come in on a Saturday.” Kaien said with a caring apologetic expression but Zero shrugged.

“It’s fine.” Zero muttered before taking his first sip, it was the perfect bitterness that didn’t leave him reeling in disgust nor did it taste like something was burned, he had worked on his core and knew he’d have to take it easy for the rest of the weekend after work but the coffee was making it much easier to relax his muscles “At least you don’t make coffees like Kaito.” He said in relief, taking a heartier sip as people were starting to arrive for shopaholics anonymous, he was surprised to see it was more people than expected but from what he heard the group was already established before it started working alongside the church so it explained why there was already a good amount of people in attendance. He wasn’t sure if there were any new members in attendance but the one thing everyone shared was their constant glances to the baked goods with hungry eyes, something he could humbly take great pride in since he worked tirelessly to make them. It was once the group leader arrived that everyone gained more focus on why they were there in the first place so they ceased their quiet murmuring.

“Welcome everyone.” The group leader started with a cheerful smile “Before we begin I would like to give huge thanks to the Saint Francis Church for providing us a new meeting place.” They proceeded to give a small applause to him and Kaien, Zero just responded with silent nods whilst the blonde priest was more vocal with his appreciation.

“You’re all too kind, we’re just happy to help out where we can.” Kaien replied with a cheerful grin, the group leader opened their mouth to speak once more but stopped when a commotion was heard from outside the room that caught everyone’s attention; Zero dismissed it as another new member that was possible arguing and calmly sipped his coffee as the door opened.

“I swear I’ll make it up to you, there’s this popup shop in one of the shopping districts!” a short brunette girl pleaded towards a taller brunette boy who was shoving her into the room but Zero was so focused on his coffee that he didn’t pay attention to the newcomers.

“With what credit card Yuki?” the familiar baritone voice had Zero choking when he tried to gasp whilst drinking the steaming bitter ambrosia, he could have gone through life not knowing the feeling of hot coffee down his windpipe but so far the universe seemed to love kicking him to the curb when everything was going so right in his life. It also didn’t help that his little choking fit had gained everyone’s attention, including the brunette male he never thought he’d ever see again. His deep burgundy eyes widening at the sight of him but he was quick to cover his shock as he continued shoving the petite girl towards the group, from her similar colorings to the older boy he could evidently tell that they were related, most likely siblings from her constant pleads to ‘Kaname onii-sama’ but it felt as if his silent prayers were being cast into the trash can when the group leader allowed for Kaname to stay if it kept his sister in line and Kaname accepted just as Kaien left to get something, he stopped paying attention as it was directed elsewhere.

After getting Yuki situated in a seat and the whispered threat of having Sara take her to the next shopaholic’s anonymous meeting if she chose to run out making her remain where she was, Kaname could stand and breathe a sigh of relief that released some of the tension in his posture. Zero took in Kaname’s appearance and it was considerably drastic compared to their last meeting since he was now fully dressed in a loose fitting shirt with long sleeves that overlapped his hands and fell past his hips, dark grey jeans that fitted his legs perfectly, his hair messy and unkempt but it seemed to suit his casual appearance and didn’t detract from his natural beauty.

That was the only thing that didn’t seem to change about him but seeing him like this felt better, it was like the restrictions from their first meeting no longer existed and there would be no reason for him to speak to Kaname without the risk of feeling judgement for what he was doing.

“Well you certainly grabbed my attention in an unexpected way.” Zero thoughts came to a halt when the familiar voice was closer than before, meeting the amused garnet eyes looking into his pale lilac orbs.

“What can I say, I’ve always been unpredictable.” Zero commented which earned him a slight smile from the brunette.

“I can’t argue with that.” Kaname responded, recalling the many ways Zero managed to surprise him in their first meeting and continued to do so even after three years “Didn’t think we’d run into each other again Zero.” He said softly with a warm tone.

“It doesn’t mean I’m not pleased to see you, Kaname.” Zero replied, hiding his smile into his coffee as the brunette gave him a coy smile, mischief gleaming in his eyes that spelt trouble for him and should have made him scared but it brought back the familiar spark he never thought he’d feel again since their fateful encounter three years ago and wasn’t about to run away from such a nostalgic and exhilarating feeling that for once made him feel more alive than he ever felt before.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter!
> 
> I've already started on the next chapter and will hopefully be completed in three months at most, it'll be more Kaname and Zero bonding as well as answers to unanswered questions you guys might have had when reading the story.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back again!
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight

After enduring such a nightmarish morning involving his sister’s credit card bills and outstanding debt with his only joy being when he demolished Yuki’s credit cards with a butcher’s knife, seeing Zero again after so long certainly made his bitter mood lighter, even if his sister’s reckless spending habits being the reason for it.

“Have you gotten ordained yet?” Kaname asked curiously as he nibbled on the chocolate brownie from the assortment of baked goods, he knew it was a bad idea to have it since his stress was pushing him to grab more, it also didn’t help that it tasted delicious with a rich fudgy chocolate and wasn’t overly sweet like he thought it would be, but the thought of having Sara chew him out for starting his bad habit again after she managed to get him to quit was the only thing restraining him from stuffing his face.

“Not yet.” Zero answered as he kept trying to take in Kaname’s appearance, he still looked the same as he did three years ago albeit with his appearance a little unkempt and casual but it did nothing to subtract from his natural beauty that seemed impossible to diminish “Are you still working at…” He trailed off, feeling an uncomfortable twist in his gut and not wishing for anyone to overhear their conversation, especially Kaname’s sister, in regards to Kaname’s occupation.

“Yeah…” Kaname looked equally uncomfortable as he answered, it was clear that he didn’t wish to talk further about his work and Zero didn’t wish to press him further.

“How’ve you been?” Zero cringed at his awkward question but it seemed better than stewing in the awkwardness from the previous question.

“Not too bad.” Kaname replied shortly before stuffing the rest of the brownie into his mouth to soothe his jittery nerves, he imagined Sara’s scolding expression to stop himself from stuffing his face further.

“Despite your reasons for being here.” It was a low blow but the reaction he got was pretty priceless, Zero couldn’t help but chuckle when he saw Kaname’s face scrunch up as he was chewing and glare at him, his cheeks puffing up similar to how a chipmunk stores food. He could finally understand what Kaito meant when he described his girlfriend if it was similar to how he saw Kaname when he got annoyed; it was quite an amusing sight to behold and tempted him to see more of Kaname’s reactions to anything that pushed his buttons.

“I already took a knife to my sister’s credit cards; don’t push any further.” Kaname said after swallowing and now his expression was scathing and a lot more intimidating without his mouth full of food.

“Remind me not to screw you over.” Zero muttered before taking a sip of his coffee but the moment he saw Kaname’s expression take on a devious look he really should have prepared himself since he already had a taste with what usually followed.

“Depends on how you want to screw me.” The response made Zero choke on his coffee as he tried to gain back composure but couldn’t help but laugh, especially when Kaname laughed at the reaction his words had on him. It was light and relaxing, almost nostalgic with how comforting and warm the interaction felt.

“Excuse me…” both Kaname and Zero were startled at the new voice and turned to the source, a young woman who was looking at the both of them nervously, her face flushed as she twiddled with her fingers, Kaname spared a glance over at Yuki, noticing the support group were no longer seated and conversing with one another or hovering around the baked goods, and sees her with a few young women that looked roughly around her age looking sheepish, mouthing ‘I tried’ to him which was all he needed to tell him what this was about.

“Yes?” he asked politely with a serene expression, it was no surprise to Zero as the girl blushed harder and stumbled over her words as she spoke.

“Y-You’re Yuki’s brother, r-right?” she stuttered out, struggling to hold eye contact with the brunette as he nodded “A-Are you… I mean… I was wonder-” she stopped abruptly when a muffled ringtone sounded off before she could finish what she was trying to say, Zero and Kaname quickly started searching their pockets for their phones while the girl shakily started looking through her purse until Kaname pulled out his phone, the ringing grew louder in volume and the caller ID was simply ‘Work’.

“I have to take this.” Kaname said, his tone devoid of the previous warmth he once had as he stepped away to a more secluded spot and answered the call and held the phone up to his ear “Hello?” he answered.

_“The boss wants to see you.”_ A woman’s voice responded promptly and devoid of emotions _“Preferably right now.”_ Kaname sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose as he dreaded what the upcoming meeting could entail.

“Why does he need to see me?” he asked with an exasperated tone.

_“I’ve learned to stop asking why he does half the things he does.”_ She answered in a deadpanned tone that did nothing to ease Kaname’s deteriorating mood.

“I’ll be there I just have to take care of a few things.” He said, glancing over at his sister who would have to get picked up while he was away, he didn’t trust her to go home by herself.

He quickly ended the call and sent a text to Sara to come pick Yuki up, he knew it probably wasn’t best but Rima had a photo shoot, Ruka was at work and Sara was the only one free and could keep his sister in check, he was also worried that if Yuki did have a boyfriend that she would call him to get her and he really wasn’t comfortable about that since he didn’t know whether they would enable her bad habits or reign her in. With a sigh he put his phone away and turned to see Zero standing by himself and finishing his coffee, the other girl had gone back to the group that Yuki was talking with and looked incredibly dejected so he was thankful that he didn’t have to deal with that awkward conversation as he approached Zero.

“I have to go.” Kaname said as he shifted uncomfortably “My boss needs to see me right now and I can’t avoid it.” He didn’t know how it became so awkward when conversing with Zero felt so easy before.

“That’s okay.” Zero said, putting the empty mug on the table but even he didn’t know what to say about the sudden departure.

“My friend is coming to pick my sister up, just be on the look out for a scary blonde woman with good fashion sense and my sister getting terrified at her arrival.” Kaname said as he tugged the sleeve of his shirt “I really liked seeing you again.” He admitted, seeing Zero again and just talking to him made things feel so simple in his dysfunctional life, he was tempted to just skip out on the meeting and spend the rest of the day with Zero; it would be so blissful compared to what he was about to experience once he met his boss.

“Me too.” Zero shared as he felt at ease since Kaname arrived and felt a little empty at the thought of not knowing when they’d see each other again, it was unplanned and he knew it was possibly the worst idea considering their respective jobs but as soon as he opened his mouth he couldn’t stop himself “How about I call you?” the question surprised Kaname greatly, his burgundy orbs widening as he was trying to catch up to the fact that Zero wanted to call him.

“Yes.” He quickly grabbed his phone and Zero did the same thing, both exchanging phone numbers and saving the other to their contacts, it felt to surreal to the both of them but neither of them could deny how good it felt to have the chance of seeing each other again “Why don’t you call me after you finish work?” Kaname suggested warmly which earned him a light smirk from Zero.

“Maybe I will.” He said lightly before they parted but unlike their first parting there wasn’t a lingering coldness, instead it was warm and both couldn’t deny being excited for when they could see each other again that they couldn’t hide how happy they were from their meeting even when he gave his sister the heads up of Sara’s upcoming arrival and she could only give him a horrified look as he left with a pleasant smile.

* * *

After entering through the employee’s entrance at the back of Blue Orchid Kaname tried to keep his breath steady as he walked down the hallway, passing the locker rooms, employees lounge and eventually reached the doors leading to the club itself, the room wasn’t lit with bright blues and pinks and didn’t radiate the sensual energy it usually held when it was filled with customers who were watching the dancers and their erotic performances. The room itself wasn’t empty as next to the bar was a pale lilac haired woman with matching lilac eyes dressed in a white button up blouse with a red ribbon tied in a loose bow around her collar, a knee length red skirt, black stockings and brown leather ankle boots, her expression remained composed as he entered and showed no signs of wavering.

“Seiren.” He greeted calmly as she stepped away from the bar.

“Follow me.” She replied promptly and headed for the stairs, he followed behind her in a matched pace as they ascended to the private rooms but paid them no mind as they passed them, it continued this way for a couple of minutes with only silence shared between them until they reached a door that differed from the private rooms because it held a golden plate with the cursive letters ‘Owner’ engraved on the metal. With a three light knocks on the door a muffled voice called out for them to enter and Seiren opened the door.

The office was spacious with only two desks on opposite sides of the room that were both stylized differently to the personalities of their owners, the unoccupied desk was very Spartan with only their most needed equipment on display, it was very impersonal in comparison to the desk that aside from similar equipment to the other desk it was a lot more lavish in design and had a few photo frames near the computer and was less pristine with its organization due to the small stacks of paper littered in the empty spaces and three empty armchairs in front of it. Unlike the other desk this one was occupied with a man dressed in an impeccable black suit calmly speaking on the phone and typing something on his computer but Kaname couldn’t tell what since he only made sounds of affirmation as he listened to the caller.

“I’ll have someone look into this discrepancy but hopefully it should be taken care of without too many setbacks.” He said before ending the call and turning to the new arrivals with unreadable blue and burgundy heterochromatic eyes “Oh good, you’re here.” He spoke in a calm tone as he sat back in his seat, brushing back his dark messy bangs and his pale features taking on a blasé expression that Kaname was all too familiar with because it was somehow genetic for every Kuran to have that expression whenever they didn’t want to reveal their secrets “Seiren, I need you to look into a minor problem that has come to light, I’ve emailed you the file so you can start on that.” He said to the pale girl who bowed respectively.

“Yes Rido-sama.” She said before walking over to the empty desk and immediately got to work on her computer, Kaname walked over to the empty armchair in the middle and sat down, crossing his leg over the other and holding it in place with his hands as he tried to stay calm, mimicking the older man’s expression to hide how underdressed he felt in front of his employer. Both remained silent and kept their gazes locked, neither wishing to speak as Rido simply rested his chin in his palm and stared at him with an observing gaze.

“So…” Rido started with his expression unchanging “…How have you been?” the question was so simple and innocuous but it was so unlike Rido to ask such a thing that it made Kaname’s expression to change as he stared at him in sheer incredulity.

“I haven’t been in your office since the day I started working here and when you finally call me up here after nearly five years, that’s the first thing you ask me?” Kaname questioned, it didn’t do much to change Rido’s expression as he tittered as he sat himself up straight.

“You aren’t exactly easy to converse with outside of work.” Rido commented which earned him a glare from the younger brunette “Most of your happenings I learn through Senri or Yuki.” He stated which in turn made Kaname suspicious as he still didn’t know why he was called in.

“Rido Oji-sama...” the words caught in his throat as he dug his nails into his pants, anything to keep his voice steady and respectable for the man before him “…Why did you call me here?” it had to be for more than a simple social visit, he knew his uncle well enough to know that he didn’t call him for a quick chat, he had his son and niece for that and would have arranged such a gathering at home over a glass of his favorite red wine.

“Right…” Rido said as he flicked through his desk until coming upon what he wanted “I suppose congratulations are in order.” he said before holding out a piece of paper, Kaname took it with a suspicious gaze only to blink in astonishment as he read it over “Took you long enough but you finally covered what I was owed.” Kaname wanted to feel relief, the sweet liberating relief he thought he would receive after the long four and a half years spent with countless men, degrading himself to working in Blue Orchid just so that Yuki could have a promising future without that cursed debt looming over her but all that he was reminded of was the new debt Yuki acquired through her reckless spending and as he tried searching for any alternative of paying it back “You’re still here?” Rido’s voice seemed like nothing more than white noise as he searched for every other solution to his dilemma “I would have thought you’d give your verbal resignation and never come back.” everything and anything that could help pay the debt off that didn’t require him going back to Blue Orchid but could not find a single solution except for the person sat before him gazing upon him in a perfect blend of confusion and curiosity.

“I need your help.” He started, getting a raised eyebrow from his uncle before he explained the new financial situation he needed fixed as soon as possible.

* * *

Throughout his explanation Rido remained silent, no interruptions or indications that he was listening to everything he said, just silence as he kept his gaze locked on his nephew. Kaname did everything he could to remain composed throughout it all but the combination of both his uncle’s piercing gaze and Seiren’s unmovable expression was making him internally a nervous wreck.

“I see.” Rido replied calmly after Kaname finished speaking, he turned to Seiren and gave her a silent nod before turning back to Kaname as she stood up and left the room “It’s much more fixable compared to the previous debt.” Kaname’s insides churned as he watched his uncle lace his fingers underneath his chin and look at Kaname with a serious look in his heterochromatic eyes “But that debt was your father’s and because of that I saw no reason to mark you for it.” Those words weighed heavily on Kaname’s chest, he didn’t like thinking about the debt he spent nearly five years of his life paying off so that both him and Yuki didn’t have it held over their heads for their foreseeable future.

“How long will it take?” he asked, preferring to get closure of his fate rather than be left in suspense.

“If we continue what we’ve been doing so far…” Rido did a quick calculation and tallied with how much Kaname profited him and the amount owed, it would be a shorter time frame than compared to the previous debt but it still didn’t change the fact that he would continue working at Blue Orchid “…Two years maybe, it might change depending on how much revenue you get.” He deduced just as Seiren returned carrying numerous papers in her arms and handed them to Rido.

“Shall I call Ouri?” Seiren asked calmly which made Kaname’s stomach feel as if he had swallowed lead as his uncle nodded.

“Tell him to bring in the necessary tools for this.” Rido ordered but there was a slight bitterness to his tone as he spoke, Kaname felt more uncomfortable as he knew what was to follow as Seiren made the call and confirmed Ouri would be arriving in ten minutes and all that was left to do was wait for his arrival. Both Rido and Seiren had returned to their work, ignoring Kaname as they did so and Kaname felt no need to interrupt them so he sat in silence as he contemplated how his life had come to this.

He was so close to getting out, he could have been done with this place and would have never had to degrade himself to this line of work ever again but instead he was dragged back to continue with this job but unlike before, where the debt wasn’t his to shoulder the burden of but he had still taken responsibility to pay it off, he would now have to be marked to show the debt was his and his alone to pay off because he refused to have Rido take it from Yuki’s inheritance.

Eventually a knock came on the door and Seiren opened it to reveal an older man with long pale blonde hair tied in a messy ponytail carrying a sturdy black case and a large book binder, they were casual in appearance and with Seiren taking the items he was holding and left the room with them as Rido standing up to greet him.

“Ouri.” He said calmly as he shook the man’s hand “I know its short notice but I’ve just helped clear a debt and need you to do your usual service.” Rido gestured to Kaname who looked up awkwardly at the newcomer.

“Who’s the lucky guy?” Ouri asked casually as Rido returned to his desk.

“My nephew.” He answered before turning his attention to his computer “Ouri this is Kaname, Kaname this is Ouri. He’s my favorite artist and will be doing your tattoo.” Rido gestured to both of them with his free hand without looking at them while the other was typing quickly on the computer “Seiren should have everything prepped so why don’t you two head down to the room, it’ll be good for you to chat since its Kaname’s first time.” Rido waved them off and both Ouri and Kaname left the office per his request, it was nerve wracking as they walked with Ouri leading the way since this wasn’t his first call to perform such services for Rido.

“It’s only natural to feel nervous but depending on where you want the tattoo it won’t be so painful.” Ouri said in a professional tone and Kaname only nodded but couldn’t help but feel numb as they walked the hallways “If it makes you feel better I do more than just tattoos, I actually did the mural downstairs.” He boasted proudly which genuinely surprised Kaname.

“Really?” he asked curiously and Ouri seemed almost happy to get a reaction from him.

“Yeah, I specialize in flora designs.” Ouri pushed open a door that Kaname had never been too before and it revealed a small room with Seiren just placing down a small bottle of ink on a sterile metal table next to a black leather chair that looked like it belonged in a dentist’s office. The room didn’t have much in décor or furniture as aside from the metal table and leather chair there was a desk with three drawers across from it with spray bottles, multiple markers and a black machine that looked like a small fax machine, next to the metal table was a metal stool with a black cushion.

“Everything’s ready.” Seiren said calmly as both men entered the room with Ouri grabbing the binder and handing it to Kaname.

“Have a seat, you choose any of the orchid designs and tell me where you want it.” Ouri said as he turned his attention to his gear and put on a pair of blue rubber gloves, Kaname gingerly sat down on the unoccupied leather seat and opened the binder. He was impressed with what he saw on the first page and it made Ouri’s words of specializing in flora all the more real when he saw the water color design of a bouquet of forget-me-nots, beautifully painted with blues, purples and green on the crisp white paper, he turned the page to find a floral design created with various shades of blue, each turn of the page showed incredible designs that touched the art loving side of him he had not given into since high school, a part of him wanted to ask Ouri more about his designs, to see if he had other artworks outside of his tattoo binder but he reigned it in as he knew this was nothing more than a reminder of what he owed his uncle.

“I like this one.” Kaname stopped on the design with three blooming orchids on their stems and a perfect blend of blue, purple and pinks on the petals that just made it stand out on the page “I don’t want it easily noticed by anyone.” Kaname added as he handed the binder over to Ouri who carefully took it out and moved to the other table to look through the drawers.

“Good choice, how about your leg? It wouldn’t suit your back and it’d take up a good portion of your arm if I did it there.” Ouri stated as he pulled out a flat box and waxy paper from inside the drawer.

“That’s fine.” Kaname replied numbly as he couldn’t truly focus on what was about to happen, he went through the motions as Ouri instructed him to pull up his pants leg after he told him to keep the tattoo on his calf, with Ouri going through the natural motions of sterilizing his left calf and lining up the template as Kaname just tried to distract himself with anything that would stop him thinking of how he got to this point in his life.

“It won’t hurt too much along the muscle but the closer I get to the bone the more it hurts so just be prepared for it.” Kaname silently nodded as he tried to block out the loud buzz of the tattoo gun and just drifted back into his thoughts as soon as the pressure of the needle hit his skin. He questioned how it had come to this, where he was getting a tattoo as an eternal reminder of how he owed Rido big time for fixing his sister’s mistakes but it wasn’t like it was just his sister’s mistakes, he did it for his father too when he shouldered the burden of that debt five years ago and he was now questioning if he would do it again for another person he loved? The sad thing was he knew he would because he always sacrifice himself if it meant keeping the people he loved safe, no matter how much it cost him.

* * *

When he finally got off work Zero felt so relieved as he entered his apartment, he was exhausted and after toeing his shoes off at the entrance and ambling over to his couch to collapse on it, he started empting his pockets of his belongings, placing his keys and wallet on the coffee table before pulling out his phone and started scrolling through the contacts until he landed on Kaname’s name.

He felt himself smile as he remembered today’s coincidental encounter, it was just as enticing as their first encounter and despite every logical aspect in his mind screaming at him that this was wrong in so many ways he couldn’t help himself, his thumb clicked on the name and before he knew it he called Kaname’s number.

He listened to the phone ring three times before it was answered and hear heard the familiar baritone voice he was expecting.

_“Hello?”_ Kaname’s voice answered and the familiar warmth that always seemed to rise during their encounters returned.

“Hey, it’s me.” Zero answered and could hear shuddered breathing before Kaname spoke once more.

_“Oh! Um… Hey…”_ Kaname’s tone was different than before, there was no light teasing or pleasant calm to it, it sounded shaky and hearing the sniffling on the other end made Zero worried.

“Are you okay?” he asked as his smile was lost and his concern grew for Kaname, in the short moments he knew him he had never heard him sound so hesitant even when he was awkwardly conversing.

_“It’s just… Aside from seeing you again today just didn’t go well for me.”_ Kaname admitted as he was trying to calm his breathing.

“You wanna talk about it?” Zero asked; ready to listen if it meant making Kaname feel better if something bad happened to make him deeply upset.

_“I just…”_ Kaname started but couldn’t get the words out to tell Zero what happened _“…Have you ever felt like your life is nothing more than a train crash?”_ Kaname asked and Zero didn’t have to think long.

“Every day when I was a teenager and occasionally when I’m in a self-deprecating mood.” Zero answered honestly which did earn him a shuddering laugh on the other end.

_“Well after today I can’t ignore it as easily.”_ He admitted but his tone sounded a little lighter than before _“How would you make it easier?”_ Kaname asked and only now did Zero pause as he tried to think of how he got himself out of those dark moods.

“I usually talked to my brother or close friends.” Zero answered, remembering that usually when he spoke with Ichiru, Kaito or Sayori whenever he condemned himself for things they would constantly remind him were normal and he was not going to hell for thinking such things so he should stop acting like he was a carrier of the plague, their words not his.

_“Considering it relates to work I can’t exactly talk to my sister and the only friend I can talk to is currently forcing her to empty her closet so that she can donate clothes for the church fundraiser so I’d rather not interrupt her when she’s bossing Yuki around.”_ Kaname told him, Zero knew about the fundraiser since he was going to be working on it in a few weeks and one of the steps to recovery for shopaholics was donating their belongings for the better.

“You can talk to me.” Zero suggested which earned him a startled gasp in response.

_“…Really?”_ Kaname asked cautiously, not believing that Zero would suggest such a thing _“I’d like that.”_ The innocent comment made Zero smile as he liked the idea of being there for Kaname, especially with something that he couldn’t easily talk to others about it without facing bitter judgement.

“Me too.” Zero admitted while feeling more relaxed than ever as his muscles were eased of his tension and things just felt more natural when he spoke with Kaname, even when he was on the phone.

_“I’m not the best when it comes to talking.”_ Kaname admitted sheepishly but Zero couldn’t help but chuckle in response.

“You seem to be doing well so far.” He told the brunette as he allowed himself to get more comfortable on the couch.

_“If it’s alright, can we avoid talking about my job?”_ Kaname said hesitantly and Zero could understand why Kaname didn’t want to attempt talking about that subject and wasn’t going to fault him for it.

“Sure, what did you want to talk about?” Zero asked, helpfully changing the subject so that their conversation wouldn’t remain reserved and awkward.

_“…I don’t know.”_ Kaname started laughing as he couldn’t think of a topic to discuss with Zero while the silver haired male thought for a moment until a good idea came to mind.

“Oh! I know.” Zero said, quickly sitting up as he got a little excited at the thought “We can talk about music.” He suggested as he remembered their conversation from three years ago.

_“Music?”_ Kaname pondered curiously.

“I remember you telling me you wanted to be a musician.” Zero stated with a smirk, feeling proud of how much he remembered from his interactions with the brunette “What type of music inspired you to pursue it?” he asked curiously, they didn’t get to go deeply into it when Kaname admitted his dream of becoming a musician and he wanted to know more about him.

_“…My mother was a gifted musician.”_ Kaname started after a brief silence of hesitation _“I remember watching her singing and playing on the piano when I was a kid and dreaming of being just like her.”_ He said nostalgically with a wistful tone.

“She must have been incredible.” Zero commented as he enjoyed hearing how Kaname sounded so relaxed and comfortable in this moment.

_“She was…”_ There was a light sorrow to Kaname’s tone that made Zero flinch as he realized that Kaname’s mother was no longer alive which in turn made him feel as if he had unintentionally ruined the conversation _“...I have a CD with her music if you want to hear it.”_ Kaname offered in an attempt to help lighten the atmosphere and it managed to pique Zero’s interest.

“Well you’ve got me curious so go ahead.” Zero heard some rustling in the background and after the brief silence he eventually heard a soft piano playing, despite the tinny filter of his phone it didn’t change how delicate and gentle the melody was and he felt he could listen to it for hours “…Wow…” he breathed out, understanding how Kaname could become so inspired by such beautiful music in his life and it made him wonder just how amazing Kaname would be when he finally heard him perform.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, I've also got another vampire knight story in the works and hope to get it posted within the month so be on the look out for it.
> 
> Follow, favorite and review!

**Author's Note:**

> Once again a huge thanks to Love332 as she is helping me with this story, show her support by reading her stories <3


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